Cowboy
by NightsDawne
Summary: Cowboy Saga 1: Irvine discovers something that makes him leave Balamb Garden, but returns along with an old friend when the Garden faces a deadly threat. Complete.
1. Days of Few Choices

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne

Although divided into chapters, each of the sections of this story can be read individually, each one offering a bit of insight into the history of FF8's Irvine Kinneas. When all of the chapters are put together, however, they'll reveal the full character as I see him. Things start from the final night of the game, the party in the credits video.

* * *

Chapter 1: Days of Few Choices

Irvine sat on the rail of the balcony of Balamb Garden, the salty wind of the ocean air lifting the hair that hung around his cheeks, escaping from the ponytail that kept his long hair at least partly tamed. A half smoked cigarrette dangled from his absent fingers as he gazed at the moon across the waves. What the hell was he doing here? He wasn't a student, he wasn't a mercenary graduate inducted into SeeD, he wasn't even from this Garden. He'd grown up at Galbadia Garden, hundreds of miles from Balamb and his childhood friends. He was seventeen now, almost a man, and he still didn't belong anywhere, still didn't know who he was or if he mattered to anyone. Sure, there were the girls, lots of girls. He'd been able to get female attention since he was a young adolescent by dint of a pretty face, confident grin, and excessive flirtation, but they never really developed anything more than a crush on him and he'd never been able to commit long enough to fall in love himself. A record of six hours and forty-three minutes for a relationship didn't leave much time for deep feelings.

He glanced over his shoulder at the party going on inside, a celebration for their great victory against the evil sorceress Ultimecia. The others he'd travelled with were in there, four kids he'd known from his days in the orphanage, all grown up, and one girl he'd almost hoped would be the one for him but turned out to love the handsome leader Squall. Friends. He had friends now at least. Still, he didn't quite feel like one of them. Even Edea, the Matron of the orphanage, seemed so different than he remembered her. It wasn't that she looked older, for she had a timeless beauty to her, but she'd seemed so much bigger and more powerful when he was four years old. He flicked his cigarrette into the waves below and rested his chin in his hand. "You've got choices now, Irvine Kinneas," he whispered to himself. "Can choose anywhere you wanna go and anything you wanna do.. Only you ain't got clue one where or what you want." He closed his eyes with a sigh and let his mind drift back to the orphanage that only he seemed to remember with clarity.

* * *

He was tiny, even for a four year old, the youngest of the seven orphans in that windswept beach cottage. Brown hair blew across his forehead, more willing to obey the whim of the breeze blowing through the window than any style Matron tried to comb into it. Pale blue eyes were too large in a shy and thoughtful face. He never spoke, not to grownups at least, only to the others in Queen Quistis's court. That was what they called it, because that's how Quistis wanted it. She was five, tall for her age, already graceful and regal, and able to command her small court with impunity. Her consort was Sir Seifer, Irvine's roommate and a rough and tumble five year old who was always ready to take on the world. Irvine held the loyal servant role while Quistis's roommate Selphie played the part of the royal general-at-arms, planning all of their adventures.

Irvine slid off his bed as Selphie burst into the room. "Aren't you going to come play with us, Irvy?" she queried, flashing her feisty and playful grin.

"Whatcha pwayin', Sefie?" This was why he was so quiet. Usually children laughed at his speech impediment, but Queen Quistis and Sir Seifer always protected him and Selphie would never laugh at him for anything. He knew already that he needn't have asked from the flash in Selphie's eyes.

"WAR!!" the tiny general proclaimed, throwing a fist in the air. She turned and marched out, fully expecting Irvine to follow, and follow he did. He was great at following, a talent which allowed him to earn his place in Queen Quistis's court to begin with. The queen and her knight were already down at the beach, wading through the tidal pools in search of starfish and other treasures.

Seifer looked up as they approached and waved Irvine over. "I found a crab, Irvy!" Irvine scrambled over a rock to see, crouching down to peer where Seifer pointed.

"You aways find good stuff, Seifew." He nudged the tiny crab with a toe and watched it scuttle sideways under a rock.

"That's because I'm bigger than you, Squirt." Seifer ran his fingers through Irvine's hair out of habit, trying to get it to take some semblance of order. "Matron's gonna wax your head one of these days."

Irvine grinned, standing up and flipping his overgrown bangs from his eyes with one hand. "Sefie says we'we gonna pway waw."

Seifer nodded. "Yup. I gotta surprise." He leaned in close to whisper in Irvine's ear. "I got some firecrackers." Irvine's eyes widened and his grin grew bigger. Seifer's presence always made any adventure more exciting, and what could be more exciting than fireworks?

"Hey! Get over here, you two!" Quistis called and Irvine looked over to see the queen standing on the sand, hand on her hip and blond hair blowing about her face like a natural crown, Selphie crouched next to her and drawing in the sand with a stick. Seifer rolled his eyes and pretended that he was going only because he wanted to, but he obeyed Queen Quistis just like Selphie and Irvine did, so he wasted no time in grabbing Irvine's hand and tugging him along as he marched to the queen's court.

"Alright, Sir Seifer, Royal Servant Irvy, General Selphie has the plans all drawn out." Quistis waved one regal hand to indicate Selphie's crude map of the cottage and the beach. "You'll obey her orders and on to victory and all that."

"But I'm the knight!" Seifer protested.

Selphie looked up at him, squinting one eye. "It's okay, Seifer, I mean, Sir Seifer. You're going to be the hero, of course." Seifer nodded his acquiesence and crouched down to see her map. Selphie patted the sand next to her and gave Irvine a smile, then continued once he sat down. "Okay, we're gonna attack the evil pirates here and they're going to capture the Royal Servant and hold him for ransom in the cave. Queen Quistis can't live without her Royal Servant because then nobody would bring her cookies, so Sir Seifer is gonna rescue him and kill the pirate captain!"

Irvine chewed his thumb a bit. "Do I gotta go in the cave to be the pwisonew?"

"Don't be a crybaby, Irvine," warned Seifer, frowning. Irvine bit his lip. A crybaby was the worst possible thing to be in Queen Quistis's court. He shook his head quickly. "So you'll do it?" Seifer asked, raising a brow. Irvine nodded, looking as brave as he could manage.

"Alright!" Selphie jumped to her feet. "I'll be the pirate captain! Argh! Ay'll be awaitin' for ye scurvy dogs!" She laughed and ruffled Irvine's hair before dashing off for the appointed battle grounds.

Quistis tilted her chin up and extended her hand to Seifer. "I know you'll be a great knight as always and live by the code of honor to obey and worship your queen." Seifer stood and bowed to kiss her hand, then saluted and marched after Selphie, Quistis following him and Irvine trailing along at the rear faithfully.

Selphie was already deep into her role, pacing across the sand and shouting orders to an imaginary army of pirates, brandishing her stick to keep them in line. Seifer bent to pick up a piece of driftwood that would serve as a sword and then stood, narrowing his eyes at the enemy. "Alright, knights! For honor and the Queen!" Irvine found himself looking around, sure that the queen's army surrounded them somewhere, clad in bright armor.

"Let the battle begin!" ordered Quistis, assuming a regal stance to the side. Selphie and Seifer rushed toward each other, waving their weapons and sounding battle cries to make up for their silent forces. Irvine loved this part, always impressed by their ability to create a horde out of two children. Seifer and Selphie raced about, slaying invisible opponents, until quite suddenly Selphie grabbed Irvine's hand.

"Argh! Ye be my prisoner now! Come quiet or Ay'll run ye through!" She looked so fierce that for a moment Irvine forgot she was his friend and his heart lept in his chest, but she flashed him a little smile and he had to smother a giggle as she led him off the battlefield and toward the cave.

"Git in or Ay'll cut off yer ears!" Selphie ordered, poking Irvine lightly in the ribs.

The cave was pitch dark, but Irvine was sure Seifer was watching him, so he took a deep breath and clenched his fists tightly, then walked into the cold hollow. "Pwease don't kiw me, piwate. My queen needs me fow hew cookies." Selphie laughed and spun around to guard the entrance. Irvine swallowed and hugged his arms around him. Something fluttered deep within the cave and he started. Thankfully it was only a few moments before his rescuer arrived.

"Release the Royal Servant, pirate scum!" shouted the intrepid knight, and the battle ensued. Irvine forgot his fears of the cave as he watched Seifer and Selphie bang their sticks together, shouting dire insults. After sufficient fighting to prove that only a hero could overcome the pirate captain, Selphie dropped her stick and Seifer jabbed at her with his driftwood. Selphie clutched her chest and fell to the sand, carrying out such a dramatic death scene that Irvine had a hard time not breaking into giggles and ruining the play. He ran out and cheered for his hero. Seifer flashed him a grin of victory. "Come, Royal Servant! The queen is hungry for her cookies!"

"Oh, cookies!" Selphie sat up. "In that case, I'm not dead, but I'm reformed. I'll serve the queen if I can have some cookies, too."

"Selphie!" Seifer frowned. "Once I kill you you're supposed to be dead! You always do that. You always come back to life!"

"But you beat me, so you're still the hero," insisted Selphie, bouncing to her feet and skipping over to Quistis. "Does the queen forgive me?"

Quistis tapped her lip, considering. "You were very bad to kidnap my Royal Servant. Still, you're sorry, so, yes, you're forgiven." Selphie turned to stick her tongue out at Seifer, who threw his driftwood away with a scowl and marched over to his queen sullenly. "Cookies all around for all my court!" ordered Quistis, soothing Seifer slightly. Irvine nodded and turned, running for the cottage.

Irvine slipped through the door as quietly as he could. This was the most dangerous part of their games, for cookies before dinner were strictly forbidden, but he must obey Queen Quistis. He tiptoed to the kitchen and peeked around the door. He heard loud screaming coming from one of the bedrooms and smiled. Zell, the world's worst crybaby, permanently banned from Queen Quistis's court, was keeping Matron busy. A quick dash across the floor and a climb on a chair put the cookie jar within reach and he hurriedly pilfered the contraband his queen commanded, stuffing the cookies in his shirt for safekeeping. He jumped to the floor and ran as fast as he could out the door again, not caring that it slammed behind him. He skidded to a stop as Ellone, the older girl who lived at the orphanage, stepped onto the porch with Squall, the boy who never left her side and never played in Queen Quistis's court.

"Hello, Irvine. What are you in such a hurry about?" Ellone gave the shy, quiet boy a smile, not really expecting an answer. Irvine never spoke to anyone except his little group of friends. Squall completely ignored the other boy, slipping his hand into Ellone's. Irvine brushed his bangs from his eyes and glanced over at Quistis and the others, then looked back at Ellone. Ellone nodded. "You want to go play with your friends, right? Okay, just remember that we'll have dinner soon." Irvine nodded hurriedly and dashed away, one arm clutching the stolen treasure inside his shirt. Yes, life as a Royal Servant could be treacherous.

* * *

Irvine laughed, startling himself out of his reverie. Why did it feel like life was betraying him now, having made him a follower from his earliest days, forcing him to walk the path that others laid down for him, only to leave him without guidance or purpose or anyone to turn to now? His heart ached for those simpler times, for Queen Quistis's court. He smiled a bit ruefully and watched Quistis, now a beautiful eighteen year old, chatting with Edea and Cid, Edea's husband and the headmaster of Balamb Garden. He stretched, then slid off the railing and strolled inside, sliding his hat off. He could just casually join the conversation. Surely he could charm Quistis into just one evening spent flirting with him. Maybe she would be the one.


	2. Father Figure

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 2: Father Figure

Irvine smiled broadly to Edea as he walked up, positioning himself at Quistis's side. "Good evening, Matron, you're sure lookin' right pretty this evenin'. And Headmaster Kramer, always a pleasure to see you." He extended a hand and Cid chuckled, shaking it firmly. With expert timing Irvine glanced to the side, mimicking surprise. "Why, Quistis Trepe, to think I didn't notice right off such a stunning example of beauty so close to my arm."

"Lay off, Irvine." Quistis rolled her eyes and sipped from her champagne glass. Irvine frowned, but only for a moment. He was determined, quite determined, to win the fair Quistis for at least a dance.

"So are you planning to stay here at Balamb Garden, Irvine?" Edea smiled, rescuing Irvine from his momentary setback in pursuit of romance.

"My plans aren't set in stone, Matron," answered Irvine, his eyes acheiving a far-off look. "A gunman leads a wandering life, a lonely life, filled only with moments of brief but passionate affairs to keep his heart company and save him from despair."

"Where do you get this stuff?" snorted Quistis. "Romance novels?"

Irvine shone the lovely lady a devoted smile. "No dime store heroine could hold a candle to such inspiration as you, Quistis." Quistis groaned and with a hurried petition for excuse walked away. Irvine sighed and looked down. He would win her heart, he knew he would. He was Irvine Kinneas, after all, and women melted for him.

"She's quite a special girl," commented Cid, smiling absently, but his pale blue eyes attentively on the young man before him.

"She sure is," breathed Irvine. He quickly blushed as he realized he'd said that out loud and looked up to see both Edea and Cid smiling.

"Try not to rush things, Irvine," advised Cid, patting Irvine's shoulder gently. "You're young, you have all the time in the world for love."

Irvine furrowed his brow slightly as Cid and Edea stepped away to chat with other guests. He plucked a champagne glass from a passing tray and leaned against a wall, watching the headmaster and his wife, at one time almost like parents to him. The closest thing to parents he'd ever known.

* * *

It had been a cold clear night just before the Solstice holiday when Cid Kramer had first appeared at the orphanage by the sea. He wore the uniform of a Galbadian soldier and carried a huge sack over his shoulder as he trudged up the long drive. Quistis had spotted him first and darted out the front door, closely followed by the rest of her royal court, Seifer, Selphie, and Irvine.

Cid looked up and offered a somewhat shy but entirely kind smile. "Hello, children. I heard there was a shortage of toys this year, so I thought I might bring some things I happened to find."

"TOYS!" Selphie pounced on the word and bounced toward Cid like a hyperactive rabbit. The shout brought out the remaining orphans, Zell, Squall, and the older Ellone, and Matron, pushing her hair back from her face with hands still covered in flour. The children rushed to surround Cid, forcing him to lower his bag right there in the front yard with only the porchlight to reveal the treasures to the eager looters.

"Children, mind your manners," sighed Matron uselessly. She gave the soldier an apologetic smile. "It's not often they get anything like this. Thank you."

"No, it's my pleasure." Cid laughed and watched the emptying of the bag, then noticed one child hanging back from the melee, holding onto Matron's skirt with one hand. He picked out of the bag one of the few remaining toys and walked over, kneeling down so as not to appear so huge to the tiny boy. "Would you like a toy, too?"

"Would you, Irvine?" Matron stroked the boy's unruly fine hair encouragingly. "He doesn't really talk much."

"Irvine's a nice name." The soldier held the toy gun a tad closer to the boy. "Mine's Cid."

Irvine reached out shyly and took the gun, pulling it close to his chest and not taking his eyes off the soldier. Matron smiled and looked over the scattered orphans putting their new treasures to energetic use. "Everyone say thank you to Cid and come inside. It's dinner time." Six joyous faces turned toward the soldier and chorused a thank you. With a laugh Matron moved to herd them indoors, leaving Irvine standing where she had been. "You're welcome to stay for dinner, Cid. In fact, I insist, please."

Cid winked to Irvine and looked up. "I greatly appreciate it, ma'am, if I'm not going to be any trouble."

Matron smiled. "No trouble at all. And it's Edea, not ma'am. I'm no older than you are." She sighed as her attention was torn by the sounds of a fight between rough and tumble Seifer and emotional and sensative Zell, the latter breaking into a wail over some infraction. "Excuse me..." She hurried inside to deal with the conflict before injury occurred.

Cid looked back to Irvine, who hadn't moved or taken his eyes off of the soldier uniform Cid wore. "Aren't you going to go inside, too?"

Irvine stepped forward slowly and raised his hand, touching Cid's dogtags. "Awe you a Gawbadian sowdier?" the boy whispered.

Cid furrowed his brow, for a moment not sure the child had even spoken to him. He smiled slowly and turned to sit on the edge of the porch, patting his leg to offer Irvine a seat in his lap. Irvine hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took the offer, gazing up into Cid's face.

"Yes, I'm a Galbadian soldier," Cid answered, brushing the boy's bangs from his eyes. "But just because I'm a soldier doesn't mean I would ever hurt you."

"I know," said Irvine quietly. "My daddy's a Gawbadian sowdier. That's why he don't want me."

Cid swallowed, smiling although he felt as if his heart would break. "I'm sure he wants you, Irvine. It's just that being a soldier is a heavy responsibility. Soldiers are always travelling around, so they can't take little boys with them, even if they love them very much."

Irvine looked down. "I don't even know his name."

Cid chewed his lip. "But you know for sure he's a soldier?"

Irvine nodded. "He didn't stay with mommy, then she died and I came hewe."

Cid looked away from the boy. "Maybe he didn't know until too late that he had a child. But.. I'm positive he loves you. All parents love their children. Sometimes circumstances just keep them apart."

Irvine looked up at Cid again, his eyes holding a cautious trust. "If he knew, wouwd he come?"

Cid stared down at the little face that knew more pain than any child should, then placed his fingers under Irvine's chin. "If he knew, he would travel a thousand miles for one glimpse of your face." Irvine slowly smiled and laid his cheek against Cid's shoulder.

As it happened, dinner turned into spending the night, and spending the night turned into a week long stay as Cid kept finding things to repair and help out with around the orphanage. Matron found herself laughing more often as Cid feigned clumsiness and told her embarrassing stories about himself, but more than the beautiful Matron it was Irvine who spent time in his presence, even forsaking Queen Quistis and her royal court to carry Cid's tools. Eventually, though, Cid's furlough was up and he had to say his goodbyes. All of the children were sorry to see their new friend go, Zell having to be sent to bed to cry into his pillow in his anguish. Matron did her best to hide her own sorrow from the children, but she gave Cid's hand a meaningful squeeze as he stepped out the front door, the clasp lingering between them in unspoken expression. Cid held his breath as her fingertips slid from his and then turned to make his way back down the long winding drive that led to the orphanage. He made it almost halfway down before he heard the small footsteps in the gravel behind him and turned. Irvine stopped and looked up at him hopefully.

Cid knelt down and lowered his pack to the ground. "Irvine, I can't take you with me." Irvine's shoulders shuddered as he tried desperately to repress his sobs. Cid fought back tears himself and silently opened his arms. Irvine ran to him, throwing himself on him in a tight hug. Cid stroked his hair and rocked him slightly. "I'm a soldier, Irvine. I go into dangerous places, places where I can't take a little boy. There wouldn't be any other children for you to play with and nobody to take care of you while I'm gone."

"Who wiw take cawe of you?" sobbed Irvine, his fingers clutching at the uniform.

"Soldiers have to take care of themselves." Cid kissed Irvine's hair and straightened him so he could look into his face. "You're going to have to be my little soldier and take care of your Matron for me, okay?"

"Awe you ever going to come back?" Irvine studied the soldier's face plaintively.

Cid pulled him close and hugged him. "I will, Irvine. I promise I'll come back. And a soldier never breaks his promise."

* * *

He had come back, Irvine admitted to himself. Cid had come back every chance he got, but was it for him? Probably not. Cid had fallen in love with Edea that first visit, how could he have possibly stayed away? It could never have been a little runt kid like he was that brought a soldier a thousand miles to visit an orphanage. Still, he was glad Cid had been there, a father figure for an insecure child.

"Say, do you want to dance?" Irvine blinked and looked to the speaker, an attractive young woman in the uniform of a White SeeD, those trained in Edea's ship to follow the way of the mercenary fighters.

"Sure," replied Irvine, turning on his confident grin. "I never could resist a vision of loveliness." The girl swooned and took his arm, leading him to the dance floor. Maybe Quistis would notice. Maybe she'd be jealous, even. Maybe he would finally get that dance.


	3. Noplace Like Home

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 3: Noplace Like Home

Irvine excused himself from the company of the young lady he was dancing with as soon as the song changed, spotting the gold of Quistis's hair across the room. He threaded his way between students and SeeDs, hoping to catch up with her and charm her with a comment or two. Unfortunately he lost her as he got near the balcony again. With a heavy sigh he stepped out to calm his nerves and regather himself for another hunt.

A sudden voice behind him as he started to light a cigarrette nearly made him drop smoke, pack, and lighter into the ocean. "Those things will kill you, Irv."

Irvine turned, frowning and holding one hand to his chest. "I'm more like ta have a heart attack from you sneakin' up on me, Squall. Don't you know it ain't right ta do that to a man when he's got his mind on somethin' important?"

Squall snickered. "Still trying to get Quisty to notice you exist?"

Irvine groaned. "She knows I exist. She just don't wanna make it any more personal than that."

"Poor Irv," comforted Squall, squeezing his friend's shoulder. "You're out of your league. Better stick to the powder puffs you usually seduce."

"Squall, I find it highly ungentlemanly of you ta characterize the beautiful women I rightly compliment and pay attention to like that." Irvine did his best to feign offense as he got his cigarrette lit at last, but he never could manage looking mad.

"As if you know anything about being a gentleman. You don't learn that sort of thing in girly magazines"

Irvine pouted. "There're a whole lot of good tips in there about how ta please a lady."

"Whatever," replied Squall, leaning against the rail.

"Why ain't you with Rinoa, anyhow? Don't tell me you two are havin' problems already after all I went through to get you two together."

"She's in the bathroom," answered Squall, puffing his cheeks out. "Who knows when she'll get out, you know how women are."

"**I** know how women are," smirked Irvine. "You, on the other hand, are pretty clueless, my friend."

Squall didn't reply and Irvine fell quiet himself, knowing when his friend had had enough of the difficult work of conversation. It was enough to stand next to each other, knowing they were there for each other if the need arose, but not pressured to fill the silence.

* * *

That last day at the orphanage had been quiet, almost still. The three orphans left, unadopted for one reason or another, couldn't bear to talk or play and simply stood watching the last things packed up for the trip away. Irvine swallowed and reached for Seifer's hand. Seifer gave it a brief squeeze before letting go and choosing the more grown-up option of messing up Irvine's hair instead. Squall had never bothered to talk with either of them much and his silence was a rather familiar comfort.

It had all been explained to them the week before, but it still didn't seem real. Cid and Matron had gotten married, but rather than settling down to raise the boys together they were going to seperate. They had an important task to work on. Each of them would start a special school and the boys would get to go to the schools and everything would be fun and exciting. Irvine hadn't thought it would be exciting at all. The night before they were to go away he snuck to Cid and Matron's door and sat down to listen to the conversation inside.

"I don't think it will be healthy for him to be seperated from Seifer. He adores Seifer, they're practically brothers."

"But we agreed that Seifer wouldn't do well in Martine's care in Galbadia, he's too rebellious to thrive under a regulation soldier. And I can't take Irvine with me, you know why."

"I know why. And he's scared of being on a boat so I can't take him with me. .... Are you sure that Martine can take care of him?"

"I've known Martine for ten years now, we joined up together. He'll raise him as if he were his own son, I promise you."

Irvine had crept away to crawl into bed beside Seifer, refusing to be a crybaby even though the thought of losing his best friend made him feel sick to his stomach. It would be like being adopted and both he and Seifer had made a pact after Quistis and Selphie went to new homes that they'd never be adopted so they'd never lose each other. Every time a couple had come to the orphanage they behaved in the wildest and most reprehensible manner, so much so that even Zell was chosen and they were left behind. Now they were going to different places anyway. It just wasn't fair.

Irvine pushed his bangs out of his eyes and looked up at Seifer. He wouldn't cry, not even now. Seifer gave him a half smile. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll run away and find you and we'll just take care of each other." Irvine nodded uncertainly.

"Irvine?" Matron crouched down next to the boys and took Irvine's hand in hers. "It's time to go take you to the train station, so you need to say goodbye to Seifer and Squall." Irvine nodded solemnly and turned to Squall, but Squall just looked away, tugging at the hem of his shirt. Irvine swallowed and looked to Seifer. Impulsively he hugged the bigger boy. Seifer hesitated. Hugging was for sissies. Still, after a moment he relented and gave Irvine a quick hug back. 

Irvine refused to say goodbye to Cid. Cid didn't want him, just like his real father didn't want him. All this time Irvine had trusted Cid, had loved him as if he were his father, now he didn't even want to look at him. Cid reached out to stroke the boy's hair but Irvine pulled away from him, his jaw set in supressed anger.

"It's okay," said Matron quietly. "Maybe it's just better this way." 

Cid swallowed, closing his eyes tightly and stepping back. "Goodbye, Irvine. You'll have a lot of fun at your new home."

The train ride had been a blur of pain. Irvine sat all alone, staring out the window at the sea stretching away from the narrow cross-oceanic track. He slept once or twice, losing all track of time on the long voyage until the conductor shook his shoulder. It was dark outside.

"Wake up, kid. You're at Galbadia Station."

Irvine rubbed his face and got up, tugging his small suitcase with both hands as he made his silent and sullen way out of the train. He no longer cared what happened, he would just wait for Seifer to come get him. He dropped his suitcase on the platform and shoved his hands in his pockets, jutting his lower lip out in fierce determination not to be a crybaby.

The first thing Irvine saw of his new guardian was a pair of perfectly polished black boots. He could see the lamps from overhead reflected clearly in the toes. He slowly looked up, measuring the tall and muscular frame of a Galbadian soldier, but this man looked nothing like kind Cid. This man was built like a rock and looked as if he could rip an enemy apart with his bare hands. Irvine's mouth dropped open.

"Kinneas?" It was almost a bark, like he was daring Irvine to deny it. Irvine nodded hurriedly. Martine bent down to put his face in the boy's. "Cat got your tongue? When I ask you something you say 'Yes, sir.' or 'No, sir.', understood?"

"Yessiw!" squeaked Irvine.

"Yes, sir!"

"Yessiw!"

"Yes..... sirrrrrrr."

"Yes.... siwwwwr?"

Martine snorted and paced in front of Irvine as if he were an entire unit of privates. "I was told you were five years old."

"Yessiw.. wwwwr."

"Stand straight, boy. At your height you have to get all the benefit you can out of posture. Were you deprived of nutrition causing you to be stunted in your growth?!"

Irvine stretched as high as he could go without going on tiptoe. "Yessiw, I mean No, siw... wwr."

"Make up your mind, is it yes or no?"

"No, siwwr." Irvine added a salute, hoping it would soothe the intimidating man.

"Don't be a smartass, Kinneas!" Irvine dropped his hand quickly. Martine continued to pace. "Kramer dumped you off on me to take care of, to see you got proper training in the hopes that one day you might actually turn out to be something of a soldier. Now he's a decent man, but his ideas are a bit liberal. I plan to make you a real soldier. I'm going to drill the finest bunch of cadets ever seen on this or any other continent do I make myself clear?!"

"Yessiwwr."

"You will begin by picking up that suitcase and treating it as if it were a proper piece of equipment. Do it!" Irvine gulped and scooped up his suitcase, clutching it to his chest. Martine paused and stared at him. "For God's sake don't hold it like a security blanket, cadet! It's a Goddamn suitcase and you'll hold it like a suitcase!" Irvine fumbled to get it into a more suitcase-like position, looking up at Martine, his lower lip beginning to quiver in spite of all his efforts. Martine narrowed his eyes. "Better. Now march! Harrup two hree fo'!" Irvine needed no further encouragement and double timed it in the direction indicated by Martine's outstretched finger to a waiting Jeep.

Irvine was Martine's first student, but Galbadia Garden filled up quickly with other orphans and children whose parents were assured of a first class military education by the well-recommended retired soldier. For some reason, however, Martine felt himself compelled to mold Irvine more thoroughly than any of the other students, constantly finding the boy lacking by strict military standards. Irvine longed for the day when Seifer would come to save him from the torture, but days passed, then weeks, stretching into months and finally years with no sign of his friend. The hope that had kept Irvine going through strenuous speech therapy to acquaint him with r's and l's and hundreds of pushups that started to give his body some muscle began to fade. Lacking the will to fight Martine, however, he simply gave in and did the best he could to please the man. It was a doomed enterprise.

"Kinneas!" 

Irvine jumped to his feet for the twentieth time that day, nearly knocking his desk over. "Yes, sir, Headmaster, SIR!" The other fifth year students giggled until their instructor hushed them with a look.

Martine glared daggers at Irvine, as if he were a personal affront by his very existance. "You'll report to my office on the march double time harrup two hree fo'!"

Irvine groaned, but hit marching stride, hearing cadence calls in his head. Martine strode next to him, the heels of his boots clicking like a percussion instrument on the waxed floor of the hallway. Cadets in the corridors doing exercises snapped to attention and saluted the headmaster as he passed, snapping off return salutes with a crispness that continued to dazzle Irvine. He didn't dare to relax even after they entered Martine's office, snapping to attention and wishing he hadn't had so many hot dogs at lunch. Martine might have been at ease, but it was a difficult proposition to determine if the man ever relaxed.

Martine sat down behind his desk and steepled his fingers, staring at Irvine with a steely gaze meant to quake the knees of any cadet. Irvine had faced it many times before and kept his knees firm, a small smile threatening his lips. He quelled it with the thought of the number of pushups he'd have to do if it gave evidence.

"I just got back your test scores, Kinneas!" Any thought of a smile vanished from Irvine's mind. He was a terrible student. He tried his best, but the other kids seemed to soar past him. Martine tapped the result sheet with one finger slowly like a perverse variation of Chinese water torture. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Irvine looked pleadingly at Martine. "I did my best, sir! I just ain't all that good at schoolwork."

Martine's jaw looked as if it would pop. "GRAMMAR!" Irvine jumped. "I'm just NOT!"

"You too, sir?"

Martine lept to his feet and glowered from across the desk, leaning forward as if only the oak furniture were keeping him from removing parts of Irvine's body by force. "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO STOP BEING A SMARTASS?!"

"Sir, I think my test scores sorta rule out the smart bit.." Irvine trailed off as Martine's temple started to visibly throb.

"You, Kinneas, are the sorriest excuse for a cadet I have ever had the misfortune to lay my eyes on do you understand what I am saying?!"

"Yes, sir."

"You are hereby dismissed as a cadet of this school so that you will not soil the reputation of this learning institution do you understand?!"

Irvine swallowed. "You're kicking me out, sir?"

"No, Goddammit! Kramer didn't leave me that option! He made me your Goddamn guardian! You will continue to live here and make yourself useful in any way I see fit, is that clear?!"

".... Not really, sir. If I'm not a cadet, see, I don't see how I can really be of any use."

"Your marksmanship skills are rated highest in yours or any other class at this institution, Kinneas. You're going to train on the shooting range every day all day until you can shoot the wings off a fly from a quarter mile do I make myself clear?!"

Irvine relaxed, grinning. Shooting was the one thing he was good at and he loved it. "Thank you, sir!"

"Wipe that smile off your face, Kinneas!" Irvine snapped to attention again. "From this point on you will be my personal courier, errand boy, and bootshine!" Irvine groaned, then quickly fell silent at a look from Martine. "Now get out of my face! DISMISSED!"

"With pleasure, sir!" Irvine spun on his toe and marched out before he could receive yet another glare from the outraged headmaster.

* * *

Irvine looked up and flashed a smile to Rinoa as the pretty brunnette walked out onto the balcony and into Squall's arms. "Heya, Rinoa. Guess it's time for me ta leave. Three's a crowd and all."

Rinoa winked. "As much as I'd love for you to stay, Irvy, Selphie was looking for you."

"She was?" Irvine adjusted his hat and flicked his cigarrette butt over the rail. "Catch you two later. Don't do nothin' I wouldn't do!"

"That's easy," murmured Squall, pulling Rinoa into a kiss. "There's nothing he wouldn't do."

Irvine cast a smile to his friends as he headed back in to the party.


	4. The Making of a Man

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

[This is the 4th chapter in one night, so please point out any mistakes in your reviews. Or blatant fits of mania. Whatever.]

* * *

Chapter 4: The Making of a Man

Selphie pounced Irvine before he'd managed to work his way back as far as the buffet table, slapping her hands over his eyes from behind. "Guess who?"

"Ain't but one lovely dulcet voice like that in the whole world, that's for sure.."

Selphie grinned. "Mmhmm?"

"Quistis Trepe!" Irvine immediately found himself ducking from a barrage of blows. "Ow, Sefie! I knew it was you, I was just kiddin'!" 

"Irvine Kinniepoo, you'll turn into a Trepie over my dead body!"

"Do the words 'just kiddin' not register or somethin'?" Irvine slipped his arm around Selphie's waist. "Now how can I make it all up to ya, you pretty thing, you?"

Selphie did her best to maintain an angry frown, but a flicker of eyebrows from Irvine threw her into a convulsion of giggles. "Oh stop it, Irvine. I'm not going to be one of your conquests. Saying 'no' is the only way I can keep you interested."

"That's because I know if I keep at it long enough you'll say 'yes'." Irvine moved for a kiss but Selphie ducked out.

"Keep at it, you're not close yet, you hopeless womanizer."

* * *

Irvine ranged his way home from another trip into Galbadia to deliver messages, rifle hanging loose at his side, stride long and easy. The shrimp boy who'd been so easily intimidated by Martine was gone, grown into a tall and lanky teenager who'd miraculously missed out on the plague of acne that haunted his peers back at the Garden. Girls had quickly noticed him and he'd made no hesitation about noticing that they noticed him. The fact that he wasn't a student and wasn't a SeeD lent something of a mystery to why he was at the Garden at all, and he milked it for all it was worth to build a reputation as a dangerous romantic figure. He was finally in a groove, no longer worried about what Martine thought of him. After all, they were pretty much stuck with each other until he turned eighteen, and something was bound to come along to change his circumstances by the time that happened. He was better than good with a gun and devestatingly fantastic with the ladies, a regular cowboy. He was even growing his hair out, having given up on the cropped look that kept his pretty face looking prepubescent. Anything that seperated him from the military-style cadets scored him more points as a heart throb, and that was a niche he found he liked to fill.

To further stand out at the Garden, he had spontaneously decided to start smoking, and thus had procured a pack of cigarrettes in the city. He had a smoke out, dangling from his lips, not yet lit, but present, giving him an aura of maturity, he confidently thought to himself. He figured it was like losing his virginity and he wanted to enjoy the foreplay. He sat down on the last hill overlooking the Garden and dug a book of matches out of his pocket, then rolled the unlit smoke in his lips for a while, smiling in self-satisfaction. He was fifteen, good-looking, deadly, and most of the guys his age still had to lie about sex. If he could only get Martine off his back for good, life would be perfect.

"This one, old buddy Seifer, is for you. I bet you'd be damn proud of me right now." With a flourish he struck the match to life and held it to the end of the cigarrette, inhaling deeply. A spasm of coughing made him suddenly thankful he didn't have an audience. "Damn, this is gonna take a bit of gettin' used to." He removed the cigarrette from his lips and studied it for a moment, then squinted his eyes a touch like he'd seen actors in westerns do when they smoked and gave it another try. If he had to, he'd smoke the whole pack right there until he got the hang of it. He laid back in the grass and set to work.

A shadow moved across his face and he sat up. A woman was standing not ten feet away from him, the sun behind her framing her red hair and hiding her features, but revealing the silhouette of her shapely legs through the gauzy white fabric of her long skirt. Irvine let his eyes travel every inch of those legs without the least bit of shame, a low whistle escaping him.

"Are you from the Garden?" the woman asked, her voice revealing youth.

Irvine shaded his eyes with one hand, trying to make out her face. "In a manner of speakin', yeah. I live there. Ain't seen you there before, though. I'd remember if I had."

The woman laughed, walking over and sitting down next to Irvine, letting the sun dance across her face at last. Irvine leaned forward to gaze at her, bedazzled. She was simply stunning. "I'm April. And you're...?"

"In love.." Irvine flashed a grin. "The name's Irvine. Irvine Kinneas."

"How old are you, Irvine? You look pretty young to be smoking."

Irvine glanced down at his forgotten cigarrette and quickly took a shallow drag. "Yeah, well, I'm old enough. I live life fast and hard. It ain't the years, it's the mileage."

April smiled and helped herself to his pack and matches, lighting up. "I'll bet you're just practicing for those after passion smokes."

Irvine coughed and this time it wasn't the cigarrette. This woman moved faster than he did. "Well, that's one use for them. Say, how old are you?"

April flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "Eighteen. Do you want me to show you how it's done?"

Irvine stared at her blankly for a moment. ".... Oh.. you mean smokin'?"

April nodded. "It's pretty obvious you're not used to it." She took a long, deep drag during which Irvine found himself leaning forward involuntarily. She managed to make it look so sensual. She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his, sliding her tongue between his lips and then blowing the smoke into his mouth. Irvine thought he was going to faint but managed to inhale.

"That was incredible," he whispered. April smiled and stubbed out her cigarrette, then took his and crushed it out before pushing him back into the grass.

"We'll practice the after passion smoke.. after."

It was after dark by the time Irvine got back to the Garden. He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to get dressed again, the past two hours were a bit of a blur, but he knew he'd just had the best time of his young life. He strode through the corridors with a smile on his face that broadcast his effective status as a man of the world. The whole world seemed to be calling his name.

Irvine felt his collar grabbed and pulled himself out of his daze. "Kinneas, you dipshit!" It was one of the members of the Garden's hockey team, a senior with no love for the swinging cowboy. "Can't you hear the damn loudspeaker? The headmaster's been yelling for you to get to his office for the past fifteen minutes."

Irvine smiled sheepishly. "Oh, him. Right. Thanks. I, uh, heard it, yeah." Irvine extracted his collar from the player's meaty grip and straightened it before turning back around and walking back towards Martine's office. Not even his arch enemy could bring him down tonight.

Irvine didn't bother to knock on the door, just letting himself in. Let Martine deal with it, he wasn't a cadet. He flopped down on a chair and kicked a mud-caked boot up on the desk, casually pulling out his cigarrettes and lighting one up. "You wanted ta see me, boss?"

Martine scowled and shoved Irvine's boot off of his paperwork. "Smartass. What's that?!"

"It's called a cig-ar-rette. Tobacco, in a thin sheet of paper, with a filter sometimes, as is the case here. Lovers smoke them." Irvine smirked.

"You want it shoved down the front of your pants you'll keep smoking it in here. Put it out, now, Kinneas."

Irvine made an exaggerated sigh and snuffed it out on the edge of Martine's desk. The headmaster stared for a moment, then growled and reached over to grab Irvine by the shoulder, hauling him bodily onto the desk. "You want to die, boy?!"

Irvine gulped and held his hands up placatingly, putting on his most charming grin. "Sorry about that, headmaster. You ain't got an ashtray."

Martine gritted his teeth and shoved Irvine back into his chair. "If you weren't such an idiot you'd still be a cadet. As it is, you're just an errand boy and that means one of these days I'm going to kick your sorry ass! Right now I've got work for you to do, though. I want you to find my neice and drive her back to the city."

"Wow, I get to use a car?" Irvine grinned and cracked his knuckles.

Martine eyed him. "I'll check the mileage. If you go anywhere other than straight to her home and straight back here I'll feed you to Cerberus!" Irvine settled down meekly. The school mascot was a fearsome beast and didn't like him very much to begin with. Martine motioned to a picture on his desk. "That's her, she's somewhere around the Garden. Find her. Her name's April."

Irvine froze halfway into reaching for the picture to get a look. Somehow he didn't feel he needed to, but with a slight wince he did anyway. A beautiful and familiar redhead. "Oh, shit."

Martine looked up. "Oh, shit, what?"

Irvine got to his feet and stretched, smiling nervously. "Nothing. Just a random case of 'oh shit'. Am I dismissed?" Martine narrowed his eyes at the young gunslinger, then nodded and turned back to his paperwork.

* * *

"So what'd you want to see me for if it wasn't for some good old-fashioned lovin', darlin?" Irvine cast his glance at a passing blond with a very short cadet uniform on.

Selphie smiled and unloaded her video camera from the strap over her shoulder and pressed it into Irvine's hand. "I got a fresh battery. You're going to play cameraman and get some shots of Rinoa and Squall. And don't get punched out by Zell this time?" She planted a friendly kiss on his jaw where he'd taken a hit earlier in the evening and vanished into the crowd of revellers.

"Great." Irvine pursed his lips at the camera. "I wonder if Squall'd let me shoot him and Rinoa gettin' nasty."


	5. Make Love Not War

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 5: Make Love, Not War

Irvine strolled across the room, navigating by the narrow field of the camcorder's viewfinder. He didn't take a straight path, though, as his lens swerved every time another female in a short cadet skirt came into his vision, leading him away from his goal of filming Squall and Rinoa for Selphie's commemorative SeeD website. A particularly tempting set of legs just past the bandstand distracted him enough to drive all thoughts of websites or his friends from his mind, pulling him toward the owner as if by magnetic force.

"Whoo-hee! Dayum, that's a set of gams!" The girl looked up a bit startled at the proclamation, smiling as Irvine lifted the camera to her face. "Trust me, I'm a veritable expert at legs, miss, and yours, I must say, are about the best pair of stalks I ever laid eyes on. They any good for dancing?"

Suddenly a new face broke into the small black-and-white frame. Spiky blond hair, scowling blue eyes, and a prominent stylized tattoo. "I was talking to her first, Irvine, so get your oversexed butt out of here."

Irvine lowered the camera. "You wouldn't get anywhere anyway, Zell. I hate ta be the only one like ta be honest with ya, but you just ain't got what it takes."

"Oh yeah? OH YEAH?" Zell clenched his fists at his sides.

"Mmmhmm. How do I put this delicate and yet in little bitty words that's in your vocabulary? You come up a little short." Irvine held his thumb and forefinger about two inches apart for demonstration. The girl giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Yeah, it was having the desired effect. Zell was turning crimson and the girl would soon lose all interest, leaving her free to be swept to the dancefloor unimpeded.

"Irvine Kinneas, you're such a bastard!"

Irvine looked to the girl, his true audience. "That's why he's got that hot dog obsession an' all. See, he ain't never been able ta get enough weenie."

"Oh my god!" The girl was in stitches.

Zell scowled, trying to come up with a way to put Irvine down that would stick. The cowboy had a way of just shining off everything he said that infuriated him.

Irvine draped an arm around the girl's shoulders. He was on a roll. "You'd much rather be with a real man, darlin'. Someone who isn't a chickenwuss."

"That's IT!" Zell seemed to explode. He'd put up with Irvine's wisecracks for the sake of the team, but the reminder of his hated nickname coming from the lips of the creep who'd waltzed in and taken over as Squall's best friend and the romantic ideal of Balamb Garden was too much for him to take.

Irvine looked at Zell, a bit startled. Maybe he'd gone a bit too far. He threw up a hand to protect himself, but it did little to stop the punch, which caught him square on the chin. The room tipped and dimmed and something slammed hard into the back of his head. He saw the worried face of the girl over his, calling his name, then everything went black.

* * *

Irvine spun around in General Caraway's leather upholstered chair, staring at the framed picture in his hands. She was lovely, dark hair and eyes, peaches and cream expression. "I gotta meet her."

Caraway paused in his explanation of the sniper mission and glared at the gunslinger making himself at home behind his private desk. "Are you listening to me, Kinneas?"

Irvine waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, yeah. Somethin' about a road and a car. Martine'll brief me on it again anyway. Tell me about this sweet honeypot in the photo. Ain't she kinda young for ya?"

Caraway leaned over the desk and snatched the frame from Irvine's hands. "That, you cretin, is my daughter!"

Irvine smirked. "That mean she's single?"

Caraway replaced the frame in its position. "I don't see why Martine even bothers with sending you if you can't focus on a job."

"Because I never miss, General. Not with the ladies, not with a rifle." He sat forward, propping his chin on his hands. "What's her name?"

"Rinoa. And if I ever hear of you even laying a hand on her I'll kill you myself."

Irvine sighed dreamily. "Rinoa. I like it."

"Get out. You've got your instructions. And if you fail, I needn't remind you that I'll see you're arrested and sent to Galbadia Prison for the rest of your natural life. Where you won't see any ladies, Mr. Kinneas."

Irvine stole a last glance at the photo as he stood and headed for the door. She was a dream. Rinoa. He'd succeed at the mission, of course. He always did. And afterwards, maybe he'd get to meet the general's pretty daughter.

Rinoa occupied his thoughts for the entire train ride home again. He could easily imagine the give of that soft, perfect skin under his fingers, those beautiful dark eyes gazing up into his in complete surrender. By the time he walked in the door of the Garden he was in a state of immediate need. If he couldn't have Rinoa, he had to have someone. His eyes roved the students in the halls as he headed for his room. He stopped short as his gaze fell upon a long-legged brunnette with skin nearly as fair and smooth as that in his fantasies at the moment. Calista was her name. She was on the track team, a head cheerleader, and top bet to be prom queen that year. She'd definately fill the bill.

Irvine slid up next to her and flashed his smile. "Heya Calista. How's track goin?" 

Calista started a bit and looked at him. "Oh, it's you, Irvine. It's going alright, I guess. Pulled a muscle last week, so I'm not running this Friday."

Irvine put his arm around her, his eyes holding genuine concern and sympathy. "Oh, darlin', that's awful. You know, what you need is a little bedrest, a little pamperin'." He winked, his slow grin making it obvious what he was suggesting.

Calista reached up to push his hand away. "Irvine, I've got a boyfriend."

"Jake? Calista, you know he ain't good enough for ya. Besides, it ain't like he'll know." He nuzzled her ear, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. Female hair always drove him crazy, smelling of strawberries and sunshine. He dropped his voice to a lucious whisper. "Don't ya wanna know why the girls who come outa my room always got a smile on their face?"

"Irvine, stop." Calista wavered, the touch of Irvine's hand as he slid it along her back weakening her resolve. A small smile twisted her lips. "Jake would kill you."

Irvine seized his opportunity, turning to catch Calista between himself and the row of lockers, leaning forward to put his hands on the metal on either side of her. He fixed his longing gaze on her, holding her eyes fastened on his. "I need ya, Calista. I'm goin' out on a dangerous mission. I might not come back. And the only woman fillin' my thoughts is Calista Gerard. You want me killed because I can't think about my job, dreamin' about holdin' you in my arms? I promise, you can have Jake for the rest of your life, but you can pretend ya care about me for an hour, can't ya? Just one hour?"

Calista stared at him, her lips parted. She was almost his. That was when he felt the hand on his shoulder. Jake whipped Irvine around, slamming him back against the lockers. "You got a death wish or something, Kinneas?"

Irvine smiled genially to the captain of the hockey team, the Slaps. "Heya Jake. Calista and me, we were just talkin' about my next mission."

Jake smirked. "I'll bet. You know, I've just been waiting for you to pull your little pick-up move on my girl. Bad mistake, Kinneas. Bad mistake."

Calista put her hand on Jake's arm. "Nothing happened, Jake. Just let it go, okay?"

Jake shook her off, fixing his powerful grip around Irvine's upper arm. "This piece of shit's gonna learn a lesson, Calista. Come on, Kinneas."

Irvine staggered a bit as he was dragged towards the ice rink. "Hey, Jake, it's like she said, nothin' happened. Jake, leggo, we can work this out peaceably. I admit, it was a mistake! I was an idiot. She loves ya, Jake, she was givin' me the brush off." His protests fell on deaf ears. He was going to die. "You want me ta beg, Jake? I'll beg. Please don't kill me! Or at least let me get my rifle and make it a fair fight!"

Jake only smirked as he dragged Irvine through the rink to the locker room. "This isn't a fight, asshole. This is you getting what's been coming to you for a long, long time."

Irvine swallowed hard as he was pushed through the door. Five other members of the Slaps, any one of them twice Irvine's size, stood, looking at Irvine, then at Jake.

"Hey, fellas." Irvine waved. "Ya know, I won sixty gil on last Sunday's game. You guys were great."

"Shut up." Jake gave Irvine another push. "Guys, I just caught this oversexed bastard hitting on Calista."

"Jake, ya know, six on one. Ain't this goin' a little overboard?"

"I told you to shut up." Jake took off his letterman's jacket, the other five gathering around Irvine in a circle, rubbing fists into palms in anticipation. Irvine turned around, not sure where the first hit would come from. He was definately going to die. One of the players smirked, pulling back his arm, only to have it blocked by Jake. "Calista's my girl. Me first." He shot his elbow back, catching Irvine in the ribs. Irvine bowed, grabbing his side as the wind was knocked out of him. The next blow came from the side, sending him reeling to the floor, and all six jumped him, kicking and punching. Irvine curled into a ball, each hit driving a grunt from him with the force. It lasted only a couple of minutes, but when they stepped back, the only thing telling him he was alive was the pain he was in.

Irvine struggled to crawl away, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. He could barely get a breath, each inhalation bringing a fresh reminder of his cracked ribs. He heard the laughter of the players as if it came from a great distance away, muffled behind the ringing in his ears. He collapsed, hoping that unconsciousness would come and spare him more agony. A foot caught him in the side and flipped him over onto his back, making him squint against the harsh flourescent of the overhead lights.

"You know what? I don't think you've learned your lesson yet, Kinneas." Jake smirked down at his victim. Irvine nodded painfully, unable to speak. "Hold him down guys." Irvine coughed against the blood running into the back of his throat, confused for a moment by the hands grabbing him, someone yanking at his pants. The realization hit him like a freezing wave as he saw Jake undo his belt. He prayed he would pass out.

* * *

Irvine opened his eyes with a groan. The tiled cieling above didn't look like that of the banquet hall. A single flourescent strip illuminated the small room, white walls, white cabinets of utilitarian design. He turned his head to get a better understanding of his surroundings and saw Cid's worried face to his left. "Where am I?"

Cid smiled slightly. "The infirmary. Take it easy, you have a concussion."

Irvine put his hand up to block the light. "What happened? I was at the party."

"And you got decked by Zell. He didn't hold back, either. You're lucky to have your teeth still." Cid gently pushed Irvine down as he tried to sit up. "Just rest, alright? Zell is in the disciplanary room. He's not a threat right now, and he's been given a strict warning against getting physical with Garden guests."

Irvine rubbed his chin. "Wish I could remember what I said. Musta been good."

Cid sighed. "Irvine, you're incorrigable."

Irvine cracked half a painful grin. "I've heard that before, Headmaster."

Cid looked down, interlacing his fingers on his lap. "Irvine, I'd like for you to consider staying at Balamb Garden. You're seventeen, you could be a student. I'm sure you could pass your exams and be a SeeD within six months."

Irvine turned his head to look at the opposite wall. "Thanks, Headmaster, but I didn't even cut it at Galbadia Garden. Besides, you don't want me around."

"That's not true, Irvine. I want you here. Please, you belong here."

Irvine looked back to Cid, long-buried feelings of resentment bubbling up, hardening his eyes. "I didn't belong here eleven years ago and I don't belong here, now."

Cid lifted his eyes, a tear trickling down his cheek. "Yes, you do, Irvine. You belong here with your father. It's long overdue."


	6. Orphan No More

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 6: Orphan No More

Irvine sat up in the infirmary bed. "What the hell are you talkin' about? My father's alive? And here? Why the hell did you never tell me, Headmaster?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet, grabbing a wall for support as a wave of nausea swept over him. "Well, it's made up my mind. I ain't stayin' here with that bastard."

Cid stood, supporting Irvine by an elbow. "Lay back down. You're not in a condition to go charging out of here. Please, Irvine, hear me out before you hate me. I didn't want to send you away. I didn't want to lie to you. Don't you think I've hated myself all these years for losing my own son?"

Irvine spun, then collapsed on the bed, the color draining from his face as the full meaning of Cid's words hit him. "Y-you?" A dozen images swirled in his confused mind. A Galbadian soldier. Cid giving him piggyback rides at the orphanage. Reading stories to him and Seifer after tucking him into bed. Hugging him tightly, promising he would return. A loving look as he told a lonely little boy that a father would travel a thousand miles for one glimpse of his son's face. He shook his head, a flash of anger in his eyes as he looked back up at the man who had so suddenly forced a lifetime of abandonment to return to haunt him. "A hell of a father you were. You waltzed into my life after leaving me in an orphanage, then shoved me off on Martine like an inconvenience? Now you expect it ta all be perfect? I did fine without you, I don't need you in my life now!"

Cid recoiled as if struck. "You have every right to hate me. But you weren't an inconvenience. A day hasn't gone by that my heart hasn't ached to have had things different, to have been the father I should have been. I made so many mistakes, but I didn't have any choice in the matter. I thought it would be easier on you if you didn't know. Irvine, forgive me."

"So why tell me now?! You finally found a use for me? Tired of livin' with your guilt so you figure you'd screw up my life even more?!" Cid reached for him but Irvine pulled away, shaking his head. "No, don't touch me. You ain't got the right ta call yourself my father, not after what you did."

"I had no choice, Irvine! We needed the Gardens, we needed to train young people to fight the sorceress. I couldn't get funding by telling Norg I had an illegitimate son. Do you know how much I wanted to take you and run away, find someplace safe and raise you myself? There was no safe place to take you, so I did the best thing I could at the time. I gave you to Martine, knowing he would take care of my son. He was the only one I could trust with something so important."

Irvine clapped his hands over his ears. "SHUT UP! YOU LEFT ME WITH THAT BASTARD! YOU TRUSTED SOMEONE WHO HATED ME AND MADE MY LIFE HELL!"

"What do you mean, Irvine?" Cid pulled Irvine's hands down, repeating the question gently but forcefully. "What do you mean he made your life hell?"

Irvine shook his head, hot angry tears spilling down his cheeks. "You never came to see what my life was like, why the hell should you care? You're too late to care, Cid. I had nobody then and it's too late for me to have somebody now. Just leave me alone! Get out! GET OUT!"

Dr. Kawalski pulled aside the curtain. "Cid, what's going on?"

Cid stepped away, his expression blank. "Nothing, Doctor. Please excuse me, I'm leaving now. I'm sorry, Irvine. I'm so sorry."

Irvine didn't watch him go, burying his face in the pillow and crying convulsively, retching. He felt Dr. Kawalski's hand on his back and reached behind him to push it away. "Just leave me alone." He pulled the pillow over his head as he heard her footsteps fade away.

It had been an easy matter to sneak out after Dr. Kawalski thought her patient was asleep. Dizzyness forced him to navigate the halls of the Garden with one hand on a wall, but he couldn't stay. He'd filled his backpack with all of his belongings and stolen a car from the parking lot, not even bothering to tell Squall he was going. Even Squall would have asked questions and he didn't feel like explaining anything right now. He abandoned the car in Balamb City and staggered into the train station.

He dropped ever cent he had on the ticket counter. "Gimme a ticket for wherever that'll take me that's the farthest place from here." He barely glanced at the ticket once it was in his hand, only looking to see the number of his train. He fell asleep on a station bench, waking from time to time as nightmares plagued him.

Once aboard the train he slumped down into a corner and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He'd be hundreds of miles away soon. He could forget Cid, the Garden, everything. He had no idea what he'd do, but any life had to be better than what he was going through now. He pulled his coat up over his chest and rested his head against the wall of the train, letting the rocking motion of the car lull him back to sleep.

"Fisherman's Horizon! Fisherman's Horizon Station!" Irvine sat up, rubbing at the red mark left in his cheek by a rivet from the wall of the car. He dug his ticket stub out of his pocket and squinted at the destination. After a moment of concentration he decided that this was his stop. He pulled himself up to his feet and picked up his backpack. His head seemed to be clearing, at least. The rest had done him some good. the train came to a full stop and he walked down the steps and onto the platform, wishing he'd saved a little of his money for food. He shouldered his pack and wrapped his rifle inside his coat, knowing how the people of this sleepy fishing town hated the thought of violence. Blowing his cheeks out a bit he started the walk into town. Maybe he could barter some work for a place to crash for the night and a cheap meal.

The smell of baked clams lured him to a small dock. He set his backpack down and lit up a cigarrette, finding his deck of triple triad cards in his pocket next to his lighter. A little cheered, he made his way over to the food stand. The owner looked him over with the typical xenophobic wariness of the local residents. "Can I get you something?"

Irvine laid down a bomb card. "I'll take some of them clams."

The owner eyed the card. "That isn't money."

"It's a damn good card, though. It's got ta be worth some clams. C'mon, please? I'm starvin', mister." Irvine didn't have to work at it to look plaintive and pathetic.

The owner picked up the card and studied it, then relented and placed a paper basket on the counter with a pile of fries in it. "I'll give you that for it. No clams."

"It's a deal, mister. Thanks." Irvine seized the fries, shoving some in his mouth hurriedly before carrying the rest of his meager dinner to the edge of the dock to eat. He sat down, his legs dangling over the water, and wolfed down the fries, licking his fingers. Having so easily filled one need, he found his entire outlook had changed, his usual optimism sneaking back. He'd make it. He was much better at being on his own than being part of a team anyhow, and he'd never really belonged with the SeeD members. Even Rinoa fit in with them more easily than he did. Tomorrow was another day and he was ready to put his past behind him.

"WIN!" Irvine was roused out of his musings by a strident female voice echoing across the dock. Leaning back he saw a crop of short white hair and a blue military cut jacket at the very end of the dock, the girl sitting opposite a muscular youth with jet black hair and a dejected expression. He smiled just a bit, recognizing both of them, Fujin and Raijin. They were former students at Balamb Garden, but left when they sided with the wrong person, Ultimecia. He didn't really consider them enemies, more like victims of the sorceress and her manipulations. Still, he wasn't about to head over and introduce himself in case there were any hard feelings left. He folded his elbows over a piling and dropped his chin on his arms, watching.

"Fujin," the young man whined, "You can't do this to me, ya know? You've got all my best cards now."

"GAME!" Fujin for some reason had a penchant for shouting her short verbal communications at the top of her lungs, although Irvine knew she was actually as articulate as anyone. "PLAY!"

"I don't get all these new rules, ya know?" Raijin searched through his deck for a decent hand. Irvine almost felt sorry for him. He was big, but he was no intellectual giant and it was easy to imagine how Fujin could work that to her advantage.

As the pair started a new game of Triple Triad, Irvine let his mind drift to thoughts of the other member of Raijin and Fujin's little clique. Their undisputed champion and leader was Seifer, no longer an energetic child but now a formidable and self-assured fighter. Irvine had seen him during their campaign against the sorceress, had even been forced to fight him three times, but he couldn't hate his childhood friend. He knew that Seifer had been under some sort of control exerted by the sorceress, although in their last meeting he had been hurt and disappointed that Seifer still fought against him after the sorceress had discarded him. Maybe Seifer had changed forever.

What had hurt even more was that Seifer didn't remember him any more than the other former orphans had. He knew it had something to do with the use of Guardian Forces, the otherworldly beings who assisted the SeeDs in their battles, allowing them to use magic. He himself had three GFs he'd been given by Squall, but he hadn't been used them before he joined the team, leaving his childhood memories intact. At this point he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep those memories. Maybe there was a certain freedom the others enjoyed. Maybe knowing what he'd gone through in his life was what kept him from being able to be a part of the group. He looked down at his wrist where he wore a charm bracelet, three small figurines dangling from it, his contacts with Diablos, Ifrit, and Carbuncle. Powerful allies, he also considered them friends. Perhaps in time they would help him in another way, saving him from knowing who he was and where he came from.

"Kinneas?" The voice behind him sounded a touch uncertain. He swung around, having to tip his head back to see from under the brim of his hat. A long grey coat worn over black baggy clothes led up to broad shoulders and a chiselled face, haloed by short cropped blond hair, marred by a long scar running between piercing blue eyes.

Irvine smiled a bit warily. "Yeah, Seifer. Figured you wouldn't be too far away if your posse was over there."

Seifer crossed his arms, his expression not exactly welcoming. "What're you doing here? I thought you went back to Balamb with the rest of Squall's group."

Irvine got up to his feet, dusting off his chaps. "I ain't here ta cause trouble or nothin'. Balamb didn't work out is all. Truce?"

Seifer shrugged. "This isn't the time or the place for a fight anyway." He lifted his chin, tilting his head to the side. "What do you mean it didn't work out? I thought you were Squall's best friend."

"Well, yeah, we're tight an' all. I just ain't cut out for SeeD and there ain't no point in bein' there if I ain't. So what you up to here?"

"Being bored out of my mind. Call it a self-inflicted punishment. Pergatory." Seifer leaned to the side slightly to keep an eye on his friends.

"Aw, Seifer, ain't nobody blames ya for what happened. Ain't like you could help it." Irvine sat on the piling, crossing one boot over the other. "Why, I bet if ya went back and asked nicely you could even get back inta the Garden. You're damn good with that gunblade."

Seifer snorted. "Yeah, right, and take orders from Squall? Not my dream, Kinneas."

"Still wantin' ta be the hero, be seen by the whole world, be called Sir Seifer for real, huh?" Irvine grinned.

Seifer narrowed his eyes at Irvine. "How did you know that?"

Irvine looked down and scuffed his boot against a plank. "That's always been your dream since you were five years old. Lots of things change, but not a dream like that. That's how Ultimecia got ya, wasn't it?"

Seifer frowned slightly, studying Irvine's face for mockery and finding none. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "Yeah, it was. But I still don't get how you could know about my dream."

"You told me a thousand times, Seifer. You were gonna be a sorceress knight. I was gonna be a soldier. We used ta talk about it every night after light's out."

Seifer raised a brow. "You're mental, Kinneas. We don't even know each other, really. I only met you after you hooked up with Squall."

"Maybe I am. Or maybe you just don't remember. Damn, I wish I had money for a couple train tickets, I'd take ya someplace where it'd all come back to ya." Irvine gazed out over the water to the east.

Seifer ran a hand through his short hair. "Okay, even if you're a nut, you've got my interest. Where would you take me?"

"Esthar. Well, the continent, anyway. A little place on the beach."

Seifer shook his head. "Don't know it."

Irvine smiled and picked up his pack and coat. "Don't worry 'bout it. Look, it's been nice chattin' an' all, but I gotta find someplace that'll give me a bed for some beggin' and a triad card. See ya round, Seifer."

"Wait a minute, you can't just drop shit like that and then walk out, Kinneas." Seifer put his hand to his chin. "You're staying at my place tonight."

Irvine grinned. "Wow, thanks. Roomin' together. Be just like old times."

Seifer furrowed his brow, turning and beckoning for Irvine to follow him. "Man, total nutcase."


	7. Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 7: Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

Irvine crawled through a tangle of vines, for the tenth time retrieving his hat as it fell from his head.

"Why don't you just leave it off?" Seifer stopped to untangle his gunblade from the clinging undergrowth. "Goddamn jungle. Where are we going again?"

"Home, I told you." Irvine flashed a grin back to the blond. "It's not much further."

"And the reason we couldn't take the road?"

Irvine straightened as he cleared the foilage. "Because we never did when we were kids."

"You're totally fucked in the head, Kinneas, I'm convinced of that." Seifer pushed him out of the way so he could get out.

"Hey, you came along. Even payed for the tickets. And call me Irvine. Or Irvy. That's what you used to call me."

There was a long incredulous pause on Seifer's part. "I'm gonna forget that you ever even suggested I called anyone 'Irvy'."

Irvine laughed and picked a twig out of his boot, waving ahead with his free hand. "There it is. There's the orphanage, and the beach and the lighthouse are beyond it."

Seifer looked. "We grew up in an abandoned shack?"

Irvine stretched. "No, dipshit. Look, it's been eleven years. Guess there was a storm or somethin'. C'mon!" He took off for the cottage with his long, easy stride.

"Hey, Irvine." Seifer followed. "You ever call me dipshit again and I'll show you how fast I can kick your teeth down your throat."

Irvine kicked at the dilapidated door and frowned a bit as it creaked off its hinges and collapsed onto the floor inside, sending up a cloud of dust. "The old place really has fallen apart. Watch out for that hole in the--" A sound of a cracking board and a curse came from behind him. "...porch." he finished lamely, turning to see Seifer pulling his leg out of the wreckage. "You okay?"

"I'm starting to think I'm the one who's crazy, following you out here." Seifer grabbed the hand Irvine offered and got back to his feet. "You said it would all come back to me and it hasn't."

"Maybe if ya come inside. Hey, I'll show ya our room." Irvine spun on his heel and stepped over the door, making his way through the livingroom and down the hall.

Seifer shook his head and followed, using a bit more caution. "Were you this much of a pain when you were a kid?"

"Nah." Irvine stopped and pushed at a door, forcing it to open. "I picked that up later on dealin' with Martine. Okay, this is it."

Seifer shouldered Irvine aside and stepped into the room, looking around at the cracked and chipped paint, the only evidence of prior occupancy a bed foundation in one corner. "What about it?"

Irvine gave a tiny sigh of disappointment. "This was our room, Seifer. That was our bed." Seifer turned a glare on him and Irvine put his hands up. "Relax, we were four and five, it was totally innocent. Doncha remember jumpin' on it? We'd put the sheets on around our necks like capes and play superhero?"

Seifer walked further into the room, eyeing the bed. "That sounds kinda familiar." He tilted his head at a burned spot on the floor and crouched down, running his fingers over it. Irvine bit his lip, watching hopefully. Seifer knitted his brow. "Firecrackers?"

"Yeah, you're remembering." Irvine grinned, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorpost.

"I set off a firecracker on the floor and set the rug on fire. And Matron restricted us from tv for a week. So Quisty and Selphie would come in and play tv for us." Seifer looked up, a bit of a smile crossing his lips. "Hey, I do remember, Squirt! You were a midget and you couldn't say my name right."

Irvine laughed. "Yeah, Seifew."

Seifer crossed to the window, looking out at the lighthouse by the beach. "We used to sneak out and go play in the lighthouse after lights out. All four of us in Queen Quisty's court. I was her knight. And you and Selphie were totally crazy about each other." He looked over his shoulder. "You and she..?"

Irvine shook his head a bit wistfully. "Just friends, but it ain't for lack of tryin' on my part."

Seifer chuckled, then turned back to the window, climbing over the ledge and dropping down to the sand below. "There's a cave down there."

"Yup." Irvine followed after him, Seifer leading the way down the steps to the beach proper, taking a moment to think before turning the right way to get to the cave. Irvine caught up to walk next to him. "I'm glad I ran into ya in Fisherman's Horizon. Didn't feel right, everyone else rememberin' and you not."

"It's the GFs or something, isn't it? Why didn't it effect you?"

"I didn't use GFs until I joined up with Squall. Only students and SeeDs could have 'em and I wasn't either." Irvine shrugged a bit. "If you keep tryna remember things, it doesn't hit ya so bad. The memories stay there, you just have a harder time gettin' to 'em."

Seifer stuck his hands in his pockets, silent for a moment. "... I was supposed to go get you in Galbadia. We were gonna stick together. Like brothers."

"Hey, it's okay. Probably wouldn'ta worked anyway. How's a six year old supposed ta get all the way from Balamb ta Galbadia on his own?"

"I think I tried once or twice. Couldn't get further than Balamb City before somebody'd take me back." Seifer looked up as they reached the cave, ducking his head a bit to get inside. "I thought it was bigger than this."

"We were just a lot smaller."

Seifer sat down and stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning back against the cave wall. "How come you aren't in SeeD anyhow? You've got the battle skill."

Irvine ducked into the cave and slid down to sit against the opposite wall. "How come you ain't?"

Seifer smirked. "That's a whole different story. Besides, I asked you first, Squirt."

Irvine grinned at his old nickname and looked down, toying with the worn sole of one of his boots, peeling off a loose bit. "I flunked out as a cadet."

"Flunked? So why not take the test now? I'm sure Squall would let you."

"Yeah, he would." Irvine frowned. "Wouldn't make a difference, though."

"Why not?"

Irvine picked up a pebble and tossed it through the cave entrance. "Written exams."

"So? They're easy."

"Not if ya can't read." Irvine threw another pebble, this time with more force.

"You can't read?" There was a note of incredulity in Seifer's voice.

Irvine shrugged. "I can read some. If ya give me enough time. Not well enough ta take an exam. That's why I was so good as Martine's errand boy. No chance of me peekin' in his secret messages."

"I don't get it. How can someone not be able to read?"

Irvine lit up a cigarrette, tossing the pack and lighter over to Seifer. "Can we change the subject? It ain't somethin' I'm proud of. Squall don't even know."

"Okay, okay. Don't worry about him finding out from me." Seifer took a cigarrette and tossed the pack back. "Is that why you left the Garden, though? Just because you were worried someone would find out?"

"Nah." Irvine flicked his cigarrette over his fingers and caught it again. "Man, this feels just like old times. I used ta tell you ever'thing."

"So tell me now. Who am I gonna give your secrets away to?"

Irvine looked up, studying Seifer's face for a moment. "You remember how I used ta talk about my dad bein' a Galbadian soldier?"

Seifer nodded. "That's why you wanted to be one. Thought you'd find him that way."

"Yeah. Go figure, I was a kid. Anyway, I found him."

Seifer smiled. "That's cool. Guess you're not an orphan anymore."

Irvine shook his head. "Not cool. He was there all along. He was here, even. He just didn't want ta be my dad. He told me the other day, acted like it would make everything all right. Not one word about it for seventeen years and Zell decks me and he tells me he's my father."

Seifer frowned. "Headmaster Cid's your father? Shit. Makes sense now. I'd be pissed at him, too. He took me and Squall with him and sent you away. Pretty fucked."

"You got it. It ain't like I need him. I can handle my own life."

"So what now? What're you gonna do with no home, no money, no job?"

Irvine quirked a grin. "Oh well. I'll think of somethin'. Right now, I'm thinkin' of goin' huntin' so we can have somethin' ta eat." He got to his feet, heading out of the cave. "Get a fire ready, I'll be back soon."

"Make it something big, Squirt. I'm starved."


	8. Skating Away

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 8: Skating Away

Irvine awoke with a shiver and sat up, the rhythmic pounding of waves on sand and the smell of the dying embers of the campfire reminding him of where he was. He looked to the other side of the fire and saw Seifer by the dim orange glow, still asleep, one arm thrown carelessly over his face. The last of the rabbit they'd had for supper was mere charcoal on the spit. Ocean mist had crept around them, obscuring anything beyond their small campsite. He hugged his knees to his chest, trying to ward off the chill.

Seifer's question from the previous day echoed through Irvine's mind. What was he going to do now? It had a hint of invitation to it, as if Seifer's protective older brother role from their childhood had been rekindled with his memories. It was tempting. He felt comfortable with Seifer, another failed Garden cadet like himself, even if the reasons were different for both of them. And there was a certain sense of fate considering Seifer's promise so long ago. Irvine liked fate. Still, the thought of what Squall would think if he found out plagued him. Even when they had been peers Squall and Seifer had been rivals, the only two gunblade experts in training for SeeD. Would Squall see it as a betrayal? Would he lose that quiet trust Squall had so uncharacteristically placed in him?

Seifer rolled over onto his side, grunting as he worked himself into a comfortable position again. Irvine looked to his newly refound friend again, clenching his jaw to quiet the chattering of his teeth. As if he felt Irvine's gaze, Seifer's eyes slowly opened.

"You cold?" Irvine's teeth clattered for a second after the short speech.

Seifer didn't answer for a moment, still drowsy. "Yeah. We out of firewood?"

"Driftwood burns fast."

Seifer sat up, running a hand through his hair to shake the sand out of it. "Should have brought sleeping bags."

Irvine grinned, the motion making his teeth rattle again. "Shoulda brought a tent."

A smile crossed Seifer's features. "Should have brought whiskey."

"Now why couldn't you have been smart before we came?"

"That was your job. You knew where we were going, not me. Wish we had some bacon and eggs."

"Coffee would be nice. Damn, it's colder'n Shiva's tits out here."

Seifer looked around them. "And we can't see a thing."

Irvine pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up with shivering fingers, then tossed them over the fire to Seifer, who likewise helped himself to one. Irvine took a long slow drag, the heat of the smoke comforting his throat and stopping his teeth from their chatter. "If we head up off the beach the fog won't be so bad."

"Long walk to town if we want breakfast. Unless you're going to go hunting again. To be honest with you, though, I can't commend your cooking skills, Squirt."

"Thanks alot. You ate enough last night."

"I was starving."

"Galbadia Garden's less than a mile away. Saw the top of it pokin' over the trees last night when I was huntin'. There's plenty of stored rations there. Plus whiskey."

Seifer raised a brow. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I said so now." Irvine got to his feet, smacking his clothes to clear them of beach residue, then picked up his flashlight and flicked it on. "Let's go. The walk'll warm us up."

Seifer groaned as he got to his feet. "Should have brought a car."

"Shoulda brought women," answered Irvine, starting up the steps.

"Beach towels."

"Boombox."

"Motorcycles."

"Jacuzzi."

They kept up the banter as they made their way away from the cottage and through the dark trees to the inland side, getting more and more elaborate with their list of forgotten necessities until they'd built a veritable playboy's dream house on the site of the old orphanage. They fell silent, however, as Irvine's flashlight flickered across the gleaming walls of the once-mobile Garden building, crashed in a collision with Balamb Garden when a possessed Seifer had been at the helm.

"You sure you wanna go in there?" Irvine glanced at Seifer, unable to read his expression.

"What, you calling me a chickenwuss?" Seifer reached over and knocked Irvine's hat off. "C'mon, show me where the whiskey is." He strode confidently forward and squeezed through a partially open portal. Irvine picked up his hat and readjusted it on his head, then ran to catch up.

"Go left.. yeah, left. C Corridor. All the way at the end, Martine's office."

Seifer eyed Irvine. "You lived here for eleven years and you're second guessing if you know your way around?"

"Oh, shut up. I just get confused sometimes about right and left. Made me hell on drill days." Irvine flicked off his flashlight, following the dim glow of the emergency lights at the base of the walls. 

Seifer furrowed his brow slightly as he followed. "And you can't read, right?"

".... Are you gonna keep bringin' that up all the time? I don't know why I even told you that."

"You're not dumb, Irvine. There's got to be some reason."

"What's it matter? I don't gotta read ta shoot."

Seifer stuck his hands in his pockets. "Have you ever seen Cid's handwriting?"

Irvine looked over his shoulder. "... No, why?"

"It's lousy. Hard to read a lot of the time. That's why he mostly uses the computer to send out memos and stuff. His d's look like b's and his b's look like d's."

"Uh huh, real interestin'. So?"

"So, he's dyslexic. And he's your father."

"Dys-whosit?" Irvine stopped, turning to face Seifer.

"Dyslexic. It's a learning disability."

"In other words, he's an idiot, so I must be an idiot?" 

Seifer shook his head. "Stop talking like a moron for a minute and listen. It doesn't mean you're stupid. It means something's cross wired in your brain. Directions get mixed up. Symbols mean shit. Letters are symbols."

"So I'm not stupid. Same problem, I still can't read. Don't matter if it's because I'm dumb or dys-whatever."

"Dyslexic. And yeah, it does matter. If you're dyslexic you can get the written exams changed to oral. Besides, dyslexics can learn to read, they just need to be taught differently. In a way their brains can work out."

"Forget it, Seifer. I ain't goin' back to Balamb."

Seifer shook his head. "I'm not saying you have to. But you've at least got a choice. You shouldn't just throw it away without thinking about it. You could be a SeeD."

"So could you." The two stared at each other for several tense moments, unspoken challenge in their eyes. Irvine caved first, turning and walking down the hall again. "I'm thirsty. That whiskey's waitin'."

An hour later Irvine sprawled on his back on Martine's desk, a half-empty bottle of Scotch dangling from the fingers of one hand while the other brandished one of Martine's fancy cigars. "They're jus' a bunch of stiffs anyway. Right?"

"Mmhmm." Seifer slowly spun in Martine's chair, cradling his own bottle. He puffed out a ring of smoke and leaned back, making the chair creak in protest. "Who?"

"...I forget." There was a brief pause before they both burst into laughter. Irvine sat up. "Dintcha say somethin' 'bout rations earlier?"

"Did I? I thought you did."

"If I didn't, I shoulda. I got this cravin' for peanut butter I gotta take care of." Irvine slid off the desk and lifted the bottle to his lips, managing to get almost as much in his mouth as he spilled on his vest.

Seifer staggered to his feet. "Peanut butter, ho! ...Where the hell is the peanut butter anyhow?"

Irvine turned around, his brow furrowed in concentration, and pointed to the west. "Thataway."

Seifer followed Irvine's finger with a squint. "...That's a clock."

"No no no. The peanut butter's around the wall thataway. Cafeteria."

"Oh." Seifer waltzed his way around the desk and grabbed Irvine by the elbow, dragging him out the door. They made their way down the corridor, stumbling, ricocheting off of the walls and occasionally each other, breaking into snickers at odd moments for reasons only their drunken minds could understand.

Irvine held up his hand suddenly. "Wait. This's it." He leaned heavily on a door, trying to get it to open.

"Cafeteria?" Seifer reached around his inebriated companion and turned the doorknob, sending Irvine staggering into the room.

"What cafeteria?" Irvine recovered with the generous assistance of a wall and stood up. "S'my room."

Seifer weaved in after Irvine. "What a dump. Crash really did a number on your place."

Irvine kicked at a pile of laundry. "Nah, it was always like this." He leaned over to whisper in a conspiritorial manner, "Martine hated it." He confirmed his confession with a solemn nod.

"In that case, I commend your taste in interior decorating." Seifer leered at Irvine's collection of posters featuring scantily clad women. "So this was your famous lovenest?"

Irvine bounded across the room and onto the bed, twisting to fall on his back. "The Shrine of Kinneas, yeah. And this, this was the altar of virgin sacrifice." He rocked his hips upward against an imaginary lover. 

Seifer laughed, then bent to pick up a pair of black figure skates. "... You were a figure skater?"

Irvine rolled onto his side. "Hell, yeah. You know of any other sport where you can grab a chick's ass in public and get points for it?"

"You, Irvy, have a one track mind. There's other things to life besides women. ..I just can't think of any at the moment."

"Hey, let's go skatin'." Irvine got back up to his feet on the second try. "That's what I wanna do."

"Thought you wanted peanut butter."

Irvine waved his hand dismissively, stumbling back out of his room. "Passing fad. C'mon, you can grab some skates in the locker room."

Seifer followed, draping the figure skates over his shoulder. "One itsy bitsy problem, Irvy."

"What's that?"

"I can't skate."

Irvine waved his hand over his shoulder, shaking his head. "S'no problem. I'll learn ya.. teach ya? Fuck, I never could get that one right."

"You can barely walk. How're you gonna skate?"

"Skatin's easier'n walkin'. Well, lutzes, they ain't easier'n walkin', but jus' skatin'? Piece of cake." Irvine grabbed a bar door handle and yanked, blatantly ignoring the large block letters in front of his face saying 'PUSH'.

"Other way, Irvy."

Irvine peered at the letters, then gave the door a push, grinning as it opened easily. "I knew that. Voila. Locker room." He grabbed Seifer's lapel and pulled him inside, staggering over to a row of open lockers, Slaps uniforms and equipment still hanging, ready for a practice that would never come. He indicated the lockers with a wide sweep of his hand. "Help yourself."

Seifer unloaded the figure skates, handing them over to Irvine, then looked for a pair of skates his size. "You sure this is a good idea? We're both pretty wasted."

"It's a wonderful idea. Glad you thought of it." Irvine half-sat, half-fell on a bench and pulled off his boots so he could put on the skates.

Seifer didn't look as confident as his friend about the venture, but nevertheless sank onto a bench and exchanged his biker boots for a pair of size 11 hockey skates. "Least I've got manly skates."

"Oh, shove it." Irvine gave up on the hopeless knot he'd made instead of a tie in the laces and stood up, weaving just a tiny bit. "You ready?"

"Think so. Is that you moving back and forth or me?"

"It's the room."

"Oh, right." Seifer stood up. "Hey, this is easy."

"Tol' ya." Irvine wandered a veering path towards the rink, Seifer following with only a slightly more steady stride. Irvine spent a few moments trying to open the gate before he just climbed over the boards. "Okay, the trick of it is, don't lean backwards and keep your knees a little bent. Your sense of equilibriuminum will take over."

"My what?"

"Equilibrinulum. Balance."

"Right, gotcha." Seifer swung a leg over the boards and fell sideways, sprawling on the ice.

"...That's a good lesson ta learn first, how ta fall."

Seifer sat up, then pulled himself back to his feet by the boards. "I got that one covered."

Irvine twisted around, gliding backwards. "Okay, now jus' push your feet out one at a time, forward and a bit sideways."

Seifer pushed himself away from the boards, taking a few hesitant and shaky strides, then grabbed for the boards again. "Remember when I said it was easy?"

"Yup."

"I lied."

Irvine skated back over and held his hands out. "Gimme your hands."

"Why?"

"So you can learn ta skate."

Seifer frowned. "I'm not gonna hold hands with a guy."

"Who's gonna see? Trust me, Seifer, I ain't got no romantic plans on ya. This dick's for chicks."

Seifer gave a quick look around the empty rink and put his hands in Irvine's. Irvine nodded and slowly skated backwards, pulling Seifer with him. "Startin' ta get the feel of it?"

Seifer nodded, giving his skates a slight outward push. "Yeah. Forward and out, forward and out."

"You got it. Okay, I'm gonna let go. Ya ready?"

"I'm ready."

"Ya sure you're ready?"

"I said I was ready."

Irvine let go. Seifer lurched and windmilled his arms, then fell forward, grabbing Irvine by the waist and knocking him to the ice, landing in an awkward position on top of him.

"...Ya weren't ready."

Seifer and Irvine looked at each other, then rolled apart, cracking up as they lay on their backs. "Irvy," snickered Seifer, "If you ever tell anyone about this, I'm gonna rip your head off."

"My lips are sealed. I got my own reputation ta think of." Irvine got up and held his hand down to help Seifer. Seifer nearly pulled him down again as he struggled to get his skates under him, but eventually both were upright again. Irvine took Seifer's hands again. "One more time, and this time don't get physical."

"Fuck you."

"That's jus' what I'm tellin' ya ta avoid." He skated backwards again, this time taking Seifer for a full lap around the rink.

"Okay, I got it now. Let go." Seifer kept his eyes on his feet as Irvine let go of his hands and skated out of the way.

"You're doin' it, Seifer! YAHOO!"

Seifer gave a thumbs up. "Piece of cake."

"...That reminds me, we still gotta get somethin' ta eat."

"Later, I'm skating." Seifer looked up as the boards came closer. "...Irvy? How the hell do you stop?"

"Easy. Turn your skates sideways and lean your weight back." Irvine demonstrated a slightly wobbly hockey stop.

Seifer watched, then tried to emulate the rather complicated move. His skates spun out from under him and, throwing his arms up, he fell on his hip, sliding gracelessly into the boards. "...Easy?"

"It is when you've had some practice." Irvine spun around as the door to the rink opened, a slender figure walking through.

"Irvine? Are you here?"

Irvine tilted his head. "Quisty?"

Quistis stepped into the light, a glint of golden highlights shining on her hair. "Irvine, thank God I found you. We've been looking for you for two days."


	9. Sobering Up

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 9: Sobering Up

Irvine skated to the boards, narrowly avoiding the prone Seifer. "You were lookin' for me?"

Quistis walked over, one hand on her hip. "You snuck out of the infirmary, stole a car, and vanished without telling anyone you were even leaving? Of course we came looking for you. Squall's been worried sick. We can't even get a 'Whatever' out of him."

Irvine pushed his hat back a bit, leaning his elbow on the boards. "Squall's worried?"

"Can't you say something besides parroting everything I say?" Quistis arrived within smell of Irvine, catching the whiff of whiskey. She drew back, eyes narrowing. "You're drunk."

"Sorta. Yeah, I think I am. Yup." Irvine gave her a crooked grin.

"Of all the--" Quistis broke off as a hand appeared, grasping the top of the boards next to Irvine, then a second, followed closely by Seifer's blond head. The color drained from Quistis's face as she fought to maintain her composure. "Seifer Almasy."

Seifer struggled to his feet. "Instructor Trepe. Nice to know I made enough of an impression that you'd remember."

"Remember?" Quistis took a deep breath, her jaw tightening ever so slightly. "Remember the idiot who single-handedly got my instructor's license taken away from me?"

"Hey now, don't blame me for that. You were the one who was a half-assed instructor to begin with." Seifer sneered, then slid to his knees, somewhat ruining his confident pose.

Quistis looked between Irvine and Seifer as if deciding whether to laugh, cry, or beat them senseless. "You're both pathetic! As if you have any right to criticize my teaching skills, Seifer, when you never bothered to try to learn anything. And you, Irvine, I knew you were self-centered, but abandoning your friends to party with this arrogant ass without even saying goodbye is the most selfish thing you've ever done."

Irvine leaned over the boards, his face only inches from Quistis's, the alcohol in his system only fueling the fire of anger her words kindled. "Self-centered?!" Quistis drew back a step, startled by the look on the usually easy-going cowboy's face. Irvine shook his head. "Who the hell are you ta call me self-centered? I fought beside y'all, I stuck with you and got you ta keep goin' when y'all were ready ta give up, I spilled as much blood as any of ya, and unlike the rest of y'all I wasn't gettin' paid one fuckin' gil for bein' there! I had ta shoot a guy who'd been like a brother ta me, even though it was like I was shootin' myself. But I did it. Why? Because the people I called my friends were in trouble, the whole world was in trouble, and I couldn't stand by an' let Ultimecia destroy ever'thing. And what did I get for it? Y'all treat me like I'm some kinda nobody, an outsider, a stranger, like ya let me hang with ya outa pity! One of ya, just one, treats me like I'm a person, like I got any feelin's at all. Well, excuse me if I ain't the best at comin' out and sayin' it, excuse me if I ain't what y'all think I should be, but I do have a heart, and it hurts same as the rest of ya when it gets trashed!" Irvine slumped, his brief tirade exhausted, but long-buried emotions still churning in him, making him feel sick.

Quistis looked away, silent for a moment. "...I'm sorry, Irvine," she said quietly. "We didn't mean to make you feel like you weren't one of us." She looked back to Irvine. "Come back to the Garden. We can all have a talk and work things out between us. We need you there. Squall wants you to test for SeeD."

Irvine set his jaw. "I ain't goin' anywhere without Seifer." 

Seifer, having managed to get back to his feet, looked at Irvine, nearly falling again. "What? You moron, are you listening to her? Don't throw it all away, Irvine."

Quistis swallowed, but the steely look in Irvine's eyes said it wasn't the drink talking. "Let me make a phone call."

"And Fujin and Raijin, too." Irvine lifted his chin a bit. "They didn't do nothin' 'cept follow their Captain Seifer."

Quistis nodded slowly, then turned, pulling out her cell phone and walking into the bleachers. Seifer watched her as she sat down, tapping the keypad and putting the phone to her ear, her voice too soft to be made out. He looked back to Irvine. "What the fuck are you up to?"

Irvine glanced sideways, then pushed away from the boards, skating around the line of a face-off circle. "I ain't gonna go back there and face that shit without someone I know'll be there for me."

"And you think that someone will be me? Irvine, I fucked up big the last time I tried to be there for someone."

Irvine shrugged. "You can't fuck up any worse'n ya already have, so ain't no risk."

"What about Headmaster Cid?" Seifer turned to lean back against the boards, keeping a tight grip with one hand.

Irvine watched his skates as he made lazy crossovers, shoving his hands deeply into his coat pockets. "It may not be as big as Galbadia Garden, but Balamb Garden's big enough I can stay outa his way." He looked up at Seifer. "Hell, you and your posse gonna live in Fisherman's Horizon and hang out on a dock for the rest of your lives? Ya said you were bored."

Seifer shook his head, opening his mouth, but was interrupted by Quistis's voice calling from behind him. "Okay, Irvine, it's all set. All four of you can come back. The only caveat is that you'll still have to obey the Garden's rules."

Irvine gave Seifer a tiny bit of a smile. "You with me, bro?"

Seifer studied Irvine's face for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Hell, I can't ruin it for Fujin and Raijin. I'm in." He turned as he heard Quistis's footsteps, his skates betraying him again as he fell sideways to sprawl on the ice.

"First thing," said Quistis, taking charge with ease, "is to get you two sober before the Ragnarok gets here."

Irvine wrapped his hands around his third cup of coffee as Quistis refilled Seifer's mug. "I'm startin' ta feel like a Rexaur stepped on me."

Seifer grunted his agreement. "Not to mention, this coffee sucks."

"It doesn't suck, it's just double strength," Quistis defended herself, sitting down across from them in the cavernous cafeteria. "And you two would be feeling fine if you hadn't brilliantly gone on a crusade against what few brain cells were still working in your heads."

"Kiss my ass." Seifer forced another swallow down and made a face. "I've got half a mind to take you to bed right now, see if there's actually something you're good at, Instructor."

"Apparently you've forgotten how good I am with a whip, Seifer," countered Quistis, blue eyes flashing. "Maybe you'd like it wrapped around your neck."

"Threatening a student?" Seifer smirked. "That's against the rules."

Quistis dropped her head in her hand. "Oh God, why do I even bother? You're never going to be anything but Seifer Almasy."

Irvine frowned. "Look, it ain't helpin' my head listenin' ta you two goin' at it. Can ya please give it a rest?"

"You certainly have fine taste in friends, Irvine." Quistis tapped her slender fingers on the tabletop. "What were you two doing here, anyhow?"

"Got cold at the orphanage." Irvine grimaced as he took another sip of coffee. "Decided we'd visit Martine's private stock and warm ourselves up. Now if you'd been there with us, I coulda saved myself the trouble and kept you warm instead."

Quistis raised a brow. "You're starting to feel better, apparently."

"If I felt better I'da had ya in my arms by now."

Seifer leaned back in his seat. "It's not helping my head any listening to _you_ two going at it."

"What am I going to do with the both of you?" lamented Quistis, shaking her head. "How can two people so good in battle manage to be such losers in everything else?"

"Talent." Seifer picked up his mug. "That and good looks that make everyone else hate us out of jealousy." 

Irvine nodded and held his mug up. "Hear, hear."

Quistis groaned. "I'm going to kill Squall for assigning you two to me for private instruction."

"Not if I get to him first." Seifer rubbed his temple. "Isn't there any aspirin around here?"

Irvine halfway grinned. "I'm kinda partial to the idea myself. Just think, Quisty, you and me, long nights of studyin', stuck in the library together after everyone else has bunked down."

"I'm your instructor, Irvine. Keep in mind that I'll be in charge of your grades and conduct yourself accordingly."

Irvine propped his cheek on his hand. "Oh, that's no problem, darlin'. I'm A+ material."

Quistis rolled her eyes as she stood. "Finish your coffee. I'm going to the infirmary to find some aspirin. I'm beginning to think I need it more than you do."

Irvine watched her exit with a dreamy gaze, imagining himself at the SeeD Graduate Ball, waltzing with Quistis in his arms, her blue eyes fastened on his in mesmerized adoration. His smile only deepened as his daydream wandered into what would happen after the ball once he started easing Quistis out of her uniform. It wasn't even a matter of guessing to know that someone like her would wear satiny matching bras and panties, probably in some elegant pastel, peach, her favorite color, or maybe a pale pink. He pictured his thumb sliding slowly under her bra strap, easing it away from her fair and unblemished shoulder, exposing her flesh for his kisses as he pulled her close, hard enough to feel his growing erection, letting her thrill to the promise of what the night would hold.

Seifer elbowed Irvine. "You're drooling on your hand, moron."

"Huh?" Irvine pulled his hand away from his face and wiped it on his coat quickly. "Can't help it. That girl does somethin' to me."

"What girl doesn't do something to you?"

Irvine smirked. "I gotta give 'em what they want, which, of course, is me. But her, she's different. She's like a goddess."

Seifer looked sideways at Irvine. "She's a tyrant tightass."

"Okay, smartass, what kinda girl you want?"

Seifer tilted his head, setting his mug down as he contemplated. "I like them softer. But fun. You know, the kind of girl who's not going to reprimand you every five minutes and is ready for anything."

"Blond or brunette?"

"Brunette, definately. And just the right size to pick up and swing around. Long legs. And with a good rack."

"Oh, yeah, a rack's important. Asses are key, too."

"I'm more of a breast man. And eyes, I like big, beautiful, laughing eyes. Brown or green, so long as they're big."

"With lotsa lashes."

"Yeah. And no fat chicks. So long as they've got the chest, I like my girls small and skinny."

Irvine laughed. "You like it with the girl on top."

Seifer grinned. "You gotta problem with that?"

"Hell, no. I done it top, bottom, sideways, and once with a gymnast in some positions I had ta go to the infirmary ta get out of."

"Too much fucking information, Irvine. We were talking about my girl, not yours."

"You got anyone in mind?"

Seifer took a drink, then set the mug down, spinning it softly on the table. "I guess there's a girl that kind of caught my eye."

Irvine leaned forward. "Tell me!"

Seifer smirked. "Why should I?"

"No fair. You know who I like. C'mon, Seifer," wheedled Irvine.

Seifer exhaled slowly, opening his mouth, but shut it as Quistis walked back in, heading over to the table and setting a bottle of aspirin between her students. "The Ragnarok's here."


	10. Ragnarok

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 10: Ragnarok

Irvine lurched backward on the ramp of the Ragnarok as the weight of the battered trunk he was holding one half of shifted. "Seifer! Watchit!"

"Did you have to bring so much stuff?" Seifer got his grip again and started forward.

"You expected me ta just leave my whole life behind? Besides, it ain't all that much."

"It's all heavy. Why the hell do you have to have your own bowling ball? Bowling isn't a sport where you can grab girls' asses for points."

"You ever sat at a score table watchin' girls do that cute little waggle up ta the lane and stick their asses out for the release?"

Seifer paused as he maneuvered the trunk through the entryway. "...You have a point. Can I borrow your bowling ball?"

"Why, you thinkin' of askin' that someone bowlin'?" Irvine grinned as he dropped his side of the trunk.

"Maybe." Seifer eased his half down and sat down on the trunk. "So this is the Ragnarok, Squall's famous ship."

Irvine plopped down next to him. "Well, ain't like it belongs ta him personal. Esthar owned it, but President Loire gave it ta the Garden outa gratitude. Squall can barely fly the thing. Sefie's the one who uses it mostly."

Seifer raised a brow. "Our lives are going to be resting on the flying skills of a girl who can't walk and chew gum at the same time?"

Irvine laughed. "She ain't bad at it. 'Sides, it's a kick and a half flyin' with her." He looked up as Quistis walked down the narrow hallway.

"Alright, you two, get this stowed somewhere besides the main walkway. We're taking off."

"Yessir, ma'am." Seifer mockingly saluted as he and Irvine got up to move the trunk into a cargo hold. 

Quistis clenched her teeth. "Seifer, I'm warning you. I'm not putting up with it this time. My job is to turn you both into responsible, orderly, disciplined SeeDs and I'll be damned if I'm going to watch you blow it again."

Irvine stepped out of the way of the retracting ramp as the hatch closed. "He ain't gonna blow it, Quisty."

"Oh, really, Irvine? And what assurance do you have of that?"

Irvine grinned, brushing against her as he passed on his way to the cockpit. "I bet him a hundred gil I'd graduate before he did."

"And you're going to lose that bet. Excuse me, Instructor." Seifer strode past Quistis, who wore an expression of mixed frustration and resignation.

Irvine gave a brief tour as he walked, waving his hand lazily to indicate directions. "That's the conference room through there. Main cargo hold is below decks, along with the medical bay and the supply room. Got bunks in these two rooms and that's the galley."

"Pretty tight. I could get used to this. Go anywhere you want and just take home with you." Seifer ducked under a low doorway. "Even if it is a bit cramped."

"It's better in the cockpit. Can see everything." Irvine grabbed for the wall as the ship rose suddenly with a roar of takeoff jets.

"You sure Selphie knows how to fly this thing?" Seifer had to raise his voice to be heard over the jets.

"Yeah, she's great!" Irvine grinned and opened the cockpit hatch, swinging himself inside. "Sefie!"

Selphie looked up from the controls with a frown. "I should hate you, Irvy Kinniepoo, walking out on us like that! But, I can't, so have a seat." She turned on her sunshine smile, switching over to flight controls as the engines cut to a softer cruising sound.

"Yahoo!" Irvine jumped over the back of the co-pilot's seat and leaned forward to see out the window. "C'mere, Seifer, you gotta see this view!"

Seifer leaned forward. "Gotta admit, it's pretty awesome."

Selphie eased back the yoke, the ship inclining to get to a higher altitude, then levelling out. "So, Seifer, you're coming back, huh? I take it Irvy took you to the orphanage?"

Seifer nodded, watching her pilot. "Yeah. Strange, thinking we'd forget knowing each other. You still involved in all those committees?"

Selphie grinned. "Yup! And still looking for students interested in involvement. I'm the advisor for the Festival Committee now, so if you want to sign up, just let me know."

"Yeah, I'll sign up."

Irvine spun in his seat. "What? You're gonna be on the Festival Committee, Seifer?"

"Why not?" Seifer looked at Selphie, then out the window. Irvine leaned back, wondering, recalling Seifer's perfect girl, which sounded a lot like a description of the petite bundle of sunshine Selphie.

"I'm fully expecting you to sign up, too, Irvy," chirped Selphie. "We've got a lot of work to do for the Spring Ball."

Irvine sighed. "Do I gotta?"

"There's girls on the committee." Selphie peeked sideways at Irvine, noting the magic effect of her words.

"Where do I sign and when do we get started?"

"BOOYA!" Selphie bounced out of her seat to give Irvine a hug. "I knew I could count on you. We're going to have so much fun."

"The ship, Selphie," warned Seifer. "Fly the ship."

"Oh, right." Selphie resumed her seat, righting the Ragnarok from the gentle turn it was drifting into.

"Aren't ya gonna give Seifer a hug, too?" Irvine cast a grin to Seifer, who narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.

"Don't distract her, Irvine."

Selphie giggled. "I'll save it for after we land, okay?"

"Maybe." Seifer turned away, but not before Irvine caught him smiling.

Quistis opened the cockpit door. "There's a whole ship here. Why does everyone have to be in the cockpit?"

"It's more cozy," said Irvine, turning halfway around. "Y'know, it's even cozier on my lap."

"Good for your lap," commented Quistis drily. "We've got new orders, Selphie. Pick up Fujin and Raijin at Fisherman's Horizon, then return to Esthar."

"Return?" Selphie looked up. "Why?"

Quistis pursed her lips. "SeeD's assistance has been hired there. Galbadia has attacked."

"Why would they start up the war again?" Seifer looked across the conference room to Irvine, who was drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair. Fujin and Raijin remained quiet, still absorbing the information from the briefing.

"Irvine is our resident expert on Galbadia." Quistis leaned against the map that displayed the Galbadian continent. "Do you know anything about this group, the Red SeeD?"

Irvine nodded grimly. "Martine and Caraway. Was their elite group. Not official Garden SeeD, not regular Galbadian Army, either. Loyal ta them."

"So Rinoa's father is behind this?" Seifer leaned forward.

"Yeah. Caraway sorta assumed the job of president-for-life after the sorceress left, and he ain't never forgiven Esthar for the last war."

"Generals make lousy politicians." Quistis sighed. "If the Red SeeD is there, the entire Galbadian army can't be far behind. How good are these guys, Irvine?"

Irvine resumed his drumming. "Good. All of them top fighters trained in at least two weapons, plus magic. They'd make Balamb Garden's training center look like a stroll through a sandbox."

"Strength?"

"They've been buildin' up for five, six years. Maybe a couple hundred. At least as many as Black and White SeeD put together. And they ain't kids, they're veterans." Irvine lit up a cigarette.

Raijin raised his hand hesitantly as if he were in class. Quistis looked over at him and nodded. "Instructor Trepe, if they've already taken over the missile base and the space center, how are we gonna do anything about it, ya know? I mean, we're gonna be kinda on the outnumbered side, ya know, especially if the army comes in, too."

"Shit." Seifer looked disappointed in his friend. "Rai, don't act like a chicken, okay? Balamb Garden will get here when they can and take over. We're just the first force. Recon. We're not taking on the Galbadian Army by ourselves."

"Exactly," agreed Quistis. "We're to find the Red SeeD forces and watch their movements in preparation for our regular forces making landing in the capitol." She looked at Seifer pointedly. "I don't want any heroics. Let's just do our job."

"READY!" Fujin tilted her chin up, flipping her bladed ring to her hand, her one good eye steely. "TEAM!"

"You betcha, Fuu, we're a team, ya know." Raijin smiled, patting his double bladed naginata. "Okay, Instructor, you can count on us."

Irvine cocked his rifle. "Piece of cake."

Quistis smiled solemnly. "Seifer?"

Seifer tossed his gunblade up, the black blade reflecting the light dully as he caught it again, dropping it to rest against his shoulder. "All for one and one for all. Let's ride."

Quistis nodded. "Good. Dismissed. Be ready to land in ten minutes."

Irvine shot Seifer a quick grin as they stood. It was going to be nice, fighting on the same side as his friend. Seifer grinned back, reaching for Irvine's cigarrette just as a loud bang rocked the ship, knocking everyone off their feet. Irvine slid along the floor of the conference room, colliding with Quistis. He grabbed her waist as the ship nosed downward, engines silent. The only noises were shouts of alarm and crashing equipment. Irvine swallowed hard as he saw a projector dangling only by its cord above his and Quistis's heads. He threw himself over Quistis protectively as it broke loose, slamming into his shoulder.

"Sorry, everyone!" Selphie's voice sounded strained over the intercom. "We got hit by a missile. We're going down."


	11. Marooned

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 11: Marooned

"DRINK!"

"Maybe you should just open his mouth and force it on him, ya know?"

"INSTRUCTOR!"

"I'm alright, Fujin. It's just a bruise on my wrist. Finish taking care of Irvine."

Irvine felt as if he were floating, not breathing, in a vast sea of darkness. The voices sounded as if they came from some radio play, disconnected. He felt his head rise, his lips chill. He was drowning, choking.

"Oh good, he's coming around."

Irvine opened his eyes, coughing on the last mouthful of healing potion that Fujin held to his lips, his head cradled on her arm. The sun was blinding, heat radiated into his back by red desert sand. Quistis and Raijin kneeled nearby, the latter holding an icepack to the instructor's wrist. The red hulk of the Ragnarok lay partially buried in the sand, one wing cut in half, the body charred.

"What happened?" Irvine croaked, sitting up groggily.

"CRASH!" Fujin helpfully supplied.

Irvine rubbed his ear. "Thanks, Fuu, I got that much on my own. I meant what happened ta me?"

Raijin looked over. "You got smacked a good one by a projector, ya know? It coulda killed you."

Quistis gave Irvine a slight smile. "Or me. Thank you."

Irvine flashed a charming grin by reflex. "Hey, no problem, it's what I'm here for. Where's Seifer and Sefie?"

As if in answer, Seifer appeared in the lopsided hatch, Selphie getting a piggyback ride, one of her boots in her hand. "Hold on," Seifer instructed her before jumping down to the sand four feet below.

"Yikes, okay, I'm not going to dance on that foot." Selphie waved her boot to the others. "Sorry about that! Gee, I feel really stupid. I just got no warning whatsoever that missile was coming."

"Not your fault, Selphie," replied Quistis, taking over with the ice pack. "I'm just glad everyone's alright."

Seifer crouched to let Selphie down. "We're going to need another healing potion."

Irvine helped Selphie into a sitting position. "What happened to your foot?"

Selphie smiled sheepishly. "I got it jammed in the foot pedals when we hit. I would have been stuck there forever just yelling for help if Seifer hadn't used his gunblade to get me free."

Seifer took the potion Fujin handed him and held it out to Selphie. "Just drink this. That's a pretty bad sprain and we're going to have to get out of here before whoever shot us gets here to pick up the prisoners."

"Thanks." Selphie raised the potion in cheery salute and tipped it back.

"No problem." Seifer's voice was just a little softer than usual.

"We'll need to get all the emergency supplies we can carry, water, and our weapons." Quistis looked to Fujin and Raijin. "Can you two handle that?"

"YES!" Fujin hopped to her feet, pushing Raijin ahead of her to the wounded ship.

Irvine moved over next to Quistis. "You sure you don't need a potion, too?"

Quistis shook her head. "We have to conserve, and this isn't a serious injury. Honest, it's just a bump, it won't even interfere with my whip."

Seifer helped Selphie up. "Can you stand on it?"

Selphie dropped her foot down, then yanked it back up quickly, hopping on the other one. "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

Seifer's eyes widened and he wrapped a supportive arm around Selphie's back. "Maybe it was broken. Are you okay?"

"Hot sand," explained Selphie, looking up at Seifer sheepishly. "Forgot to put my boot back on."

Seifer chuckled in relief and helped her back down to get her boot put on. Irvine couldn't help a grin as he watched the two. A more opposite pair he couldn't think of, but he had to admit they would look good together. He glanced back at Quistis, who was somewhat clumsily wrapping a bandage around the icepack to hold it in place.

"Here, let me help ya with that." Irvine rolled onto his knees in front of her, taking her injured hand in his.

"You sure you're not just doing this as an excuse to hold hands with me?" Quistis raised a brow, but let him start bandaging.

"Let's just say it's not 'not just'. But you do have nice soft hands." Irvine looked up at her, his chin-length bangs blowing across his eyes a bit without his hat to hold them back.

Quistis shook her head. "You never stop, do you, Irvine." She reached up to brush his hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear.

Irvine grinned. "Why'd you do that?"

Quistis paused, pulling her hand back and looking away. "I don't know. It looked uncomfortable, having your hair in your face like that."

"That's all?"

"Irvine, we don't have time for this. We're marooned in the middle of hostile territory."

"Sorry." Irvine tied off the bandage, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the backs of her fingers. "Promise I'll be good."

Quistis tilted her head and sighed. "And I'm sure there's a double meaning in that."

"Now look who's got her mind in the gutter." Irvine stood, helping her up.

"Nonsense." Quistis raised her chin. "You're just too predictable."

"Oh, like Squall. Say, didn't you kinda like him?"

Quistis put her good hand on her hip. "I might have had a few weak and lonely moments."

"I'd put an end to that." Irvine fixed his eyes on hers. Quistis gazed back at him for a moment before turning away.

"We've got a job to take care of."

"MOVE!" Raijin, loaded with six packs and weapons sticking out in every direction, teetered on the edge of the hatch before suddenly plummeting forward to reveal Fujin, boot still uplifted from shoving Raijin forward. Seifer laughed and walked over to help Raijin up, Selphie bouncing behind. Fujin jumped down to the side and retreived her pack, ring, and a water bottle. "READY!"

Irvine picked up a pack for Quistis and helped her get it on, then slid his own on. "We should split up the GFs."

Quistis nodded. "Good idea. Fujin, I know you're used to Pandora."

"DRAW!" Fujin threw her hand out. "PANDORA!" The GF originally assigned to her but currently with Quistis flashed off of Quistis's charm bracelet, the charm attaching itself to Fujin's.

Selphie slid a ring off of her thumb and held it out. "Here, Raijin. I think you and Doomie will get along."

Raijin took the ring with a questioning look. "Doomie? I don't know him, ya know?"

"Doom Train," Selphie explained. "He'll definately throw your enemies for a loop." Raijin grinned and slid the ring onto his pinky.

"Guess that leaves me ta give ya one, Seifer." Irvine looked at his charms. Carbuncle was shy, and while a great defense, not much in the way of an attacker. Ifrit was uniquely tied to the cowboy, providing him with special ammunition for his rifle. "Take Diablos. Time and space elemental."

"I know." Seifer held his hand out, palm facing Irvine. "You used him on me. Diablos!" The GF was transferred in a flash of light.

Quistis shielded her eyes with her hand. "Alright, let's get moving. We'll try to make the bluffs by nightfall."


	12. Have a Mint... Or Twenty

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 12: Have a Mint.. Or Twenty

They trudged through the sand in two columns, Quistis and Selphie in the lead, Fujin and Raijin in the middle, and Seifer and Irvine taking up the rear guard. Talking was kept to a minimum, even by gregarious Selphie. It was simply too hot and talking would force them to use up their water too quickly. The shadows lengthened around them, the air cooling slightly, but the bluffs remained another hour's hike away. The persistant stinging on his cheeks and the back of his neck assured Irvine that he was developing a magnificent sunburn.

"Did anyone just feel the ground move?" Selphie's voice lacked its usual over-the-top spark, although she still sounded perkier than Irvine felt.

Quistis stopped, holding her hand up. "I did."

"I didn't feel anything." Seifer looked around him, brow furrowed.

"Shhh." Irvine looked down, feeling the slightest of tremors below him. He slowly slid his rifle out from where he had it laid across the top of his pack. Seifer frowned, but drew his gunblade upon seeing Irvine's reaction. Selphie and Quistis seemed to be equally wary, readying nunchukas and whip respectively.

"What is it?" Seifer whispered. He'd never traversed this desert before except in the protected company of the sorceress. Raijin and Fujin turned back to back, weapons at the ready as the sand shifted again.

Irvine chewed his lip. "Probably what I'm hopin' like hell it's not."

"Which is?"

Before Irvine could answer, the sand erupted five feet in front of Quistis and Selphie, a giant creature of hideous appearance looming and shaking the sand from its long green tentacles, it's single huge eye opening and fixing on the group. All six fell back quickly.

"Marlboro." Irvine grimaced, then spun as another eruption occured behind him and Seifer. "Shit. Two of 'em!"

The fighters quickly spread apart into a circle, Quistis, Selphie, and Fujin facing the beast ahead, while Irvine, Seifer, and Raijin prepared to battle the one behind. The rear Marlboro seemed to swell slightly, then opened a slimy mouth cavity, exhaling a noxious green cloud that surrounded the entire group.

Irvine heard the others gagging, unable to stop himself from the same reflex as the fumes penetrated. He staggered, falling against Raijin, a wave of nausea washing over him, the world going out of focus. His throat constricted, preventing him from calling out for help from his GFs. His vision steadied, although it was hard to see through the green gas. All around him were Marlboros, his friends nowhere to be seen. Adrenaline pumped uncontrolled through his body, his mind fogging with flight or fight instinct. A tentacle slashed at him and he spun away, knocking it aside with the butt of the rifle, only to find himself backing into another of the monsters. It whipped one of its appendages at him, catching his leg and slicing through his chaps, barely missing his flesh.

Selphie's eyes widened as she waved at the green fumes, watching her friends fall to attacking each other in slow motion. "Oh no! Guys! Stop!" The two marlboros sat back, tentacles waving slowly as they waited for their prey to weaken each other in their confusion. Protected by a magic-infused ribbon, Selphie alone had avoided the effects of their bad breath. She whirled, forced to block Quistis's whip with her nunchukas. "Quisty! It's me! Selphie!" She groaned as she realized Quistis was too far gone to hear her and danced around another slow motion whip snap. "Stop it! Snap out of it!" She bumped into Seifer, realizing he was about to take a second swipe at Irvine's leg, and grabbed his arm. "Seifer, no! That's Irvine! Listen to me!" Raijin's naginata passed over her head on the way towards colliding with Fujin's shoulder. Selphie jumped away from Seifer and with a quick twist wrapped her nunchukas around the naginata, yanking it aside just enough to force it to miss. "This is just totally out of hand!" Selphie spun towards Irvine as he raised his rifle, aiming at Seifer's face. "NO!" She reached up and slapped Irvine across the cheek as hard as she could. "STOP!"

Irvine blinked as the pain brought his mind into suddenly sharp focus. He dropped the rifle as the wild tentacles and grotesque eye of a marlboro resolved into Seifer. He looked to the side and saw Selphie, yelling at him but talking so quickly he couldn't quite make out what she said. "What?" he mouthed.

Selphie rolled her eyes. "Ssllaaaaaapp ooooootheeeeeerrrrs!" she said with exaggerated slowness so Irvine could understand. Irvine furrowed his brow, then nodded his understanding slowly. Selphie let go of his arm and skipped over Raijin's backswing with the naginata, pushing down on Seifer's gunblade to keep it from hitting Quistis in the back. She hauled back her hand, biting her lip. "Sorry, Seifer." She closed her eyes as she slapped him hard enough to raise a red palmprint. Seifer's head rolled away from her hand, then turned to glare at her. She grabbed his hand to keep him from raising the gunblade. He shook his head slowly as it cleared, his lips forming her name. She nodded, trying to keep it slow to match Seifer's time frame, repeating her slowed instruction and pushing him towards Quistis. She turned to find that Irvine had just reached Raijin from behind and was in the act of giving him a sharp whack to the back of the head. She skipped over Quistis's whip and threw her nunchuckas up, smacking aside Fujin's thrown ring to prevent it from hitting Seifer. Pursing her lips, she ducked under Fujin's outstretched arm and slapped her. Fujin's eye widened slowly as Selphie came back into focus, her mouth opening in a silent shout. Selphie wasn't quite sure, but it looked like a less than happy curse. She ran to retreive Fujin's ring, tossing it back to her feet and pointing at a real marlboro. "Aaaaaaatttaaaaaackk!" She looked back to see Irvine pointing Raijin towards the same marlboro. To her right she glimpsed Seifer laying a hard one to Quistis and winced, wondering if he might be enjoying that, but she had no time to do anything about it. The marlboros, sensing that something was going wrong, were starting to move slowly in to finish off the group with their barb-tipped tentacles.

"JUMBO CACTUAR!" Selphie held up her wrist, the charm that resembled a saguaro cactus flashing. Selphie vanished, almost instantly replaced by her faithful GF. The overgrown cactuar waved his stubbed arms, shooting into the air. He erupted in flying needles, thousands of tiny but deadly sharp projectiles flying in a seemingly ceaseless wave at the other marlboro. The marlboro snapped its eye shut defensively and attempted a retreat, a tentacle dragging, nearly severed. With a high-pitched keen it shook its remaining tentacles, creating a small tremor as it hurriedly buried itself in the sand again. The cactuar vanished into its void, dropping Selphie back into the battle. She spun around in time to see Fujin's ring and Raijin's naginata strike the remaining marlboro at the same time, two tentacles falling away. Behind her the report of Irvine's rifle sounded, causing her to clamp her hands over her ears reflexively. The bullet struck the monster in the eye. Keening, it snapped the eye shut, waving its surviving tentacles in vicious arcs. Quistis's whip snapped out, ripping off another of the dangerous appendages. Seifer came in from the side, gunblade cutting expertly into the bulbous head of the marlboro, a flash indicating that he pulled the trigger at the same time, releasing the explosive power of his rare weapon. The marlboro's head exploded, sending a spray of green slime to splatter all of them.

"Ewwwwwwwww! Gross!" Selphie wiped goo from her face, wrinkling her nose. Attempting to shake it from her hand, she walked out of the cloud, pulling Quistis along with her. One by one she retreived her friends, getting them to sit down away from the slowly dissipating poison cloud. "Well, thank God nobody's too hurt," she quipped, trying to cheer the silent and nauseated group up. Seifer raised a brow and tapped his red cheek, his motions returning to real time as the effects wore off. "Oh, Seifer." Selphie sat down next to him and gave him a little hug. "Sorry. Forgive me?" He tilted his head in consideration, then nodded, putting his arm around her.

Irvine looked down, feeling a touch of jealousy. Within a day Seifer was to the point of affectionate contact with the girl he wanted, but he was as far from Quistis as ever. What was it about him that made her so resistant? Did he really even deserve someone so beautiful, so special? He looked over to Quistis and was surprised to see her gazing at him, her face as full of self-doubt as his thoughts were. He shifted, reaching his hand out to her, but she looked away, taking a sip out of her water bottle.


	13. Dream a Little Dream

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 13: Dream a Little Dream

Ellone looked up at the tap on her door and got up from her chair, putting her book down and crossing the room to open the door. She'd been evacuated to the White Seed ship by her stepfather, President Loire, as soon as the first elite troops had invaded Esthar. She felt a bit silly being treated like a child when she was twenty-two years old, but she had gone along to keep him from worrying about her.

Cid gave her a hint of a worried smile. "Good evening, Ellone. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."

"Cid?" Ellone returned the smile warmly, stepping aside to let him in. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be on the Garden."

Cid shrugged a little as he entered the room, fiddling with the lapel of his tweed jacket. "I'm in charge of education, not military engagements. I would only have gotten in Squall's way."

Ellone resumed her seat, offering the other chair to Cid with a gentle sweep of her hand. "Well, I'm glad to have some company. The ship seems so empty with only the students and my bodyguards on board. What is it I can do for you?"

Cid sat and took off his glasses, wiping them with a handkerchief dilligently as if it would help him compose his thoughts. "I need your gift. I need to find out what happened in someone's past."

Ellone leaned back. Her gift. It only worked with those she knew, those who held a place in her heart. Her unique talent was the ability to take one person she cared about into a dream state where they would time travel to the body of another friend and could vicariously experience that person's life for a brief time. "You aren't able to ask them?"

Cid shook his head, sliding his glasses back on. "He would never tell me. At this point, I doubt he would ever speak to me. Please, Ellone, the only way I can think of to repair the damage is to understand what he went through."

Ellone studied Cid's features, noting the lines of worry and the dark circles under his eyes. "Alright, Cid. I can tell this is something that's plaguing you. I'll need to know who."

Cid laid his head against the back of the chair, staring at the opposite wall. "Irvine."

"Irvine?" Ellone was a touch surprised.

"Yes, I suppose I should start with, oh, around ten years ago?"

Ellone nodded. "Okay, relax. It won't feel any different than going to sleep."

Cid nodded slightly, closing his eyes.

* * *

Cid found his eyes open. He was, or rather his host was, sprawled on his stomach on a bunk, struggling to read a math book. He forced himself to relax, not to let his mind wander into his own thoughts, not to struggle against the confines of being a seven year old. Through Irvine's eyes he watched lines and squiggles dance across the page in an oh, so familiar way.

"Four.. fourteen. Minus. Eleven." Irvine tapped the book with his pencil eraser, furrowing his brow to make sure he had it right before he carefully transcribed the problem onto his homework paper. _Three. _Irvine blinked. He usually didn't get them that quickly. He smiled and wrote down the answer. _The other way._ He furrowed his brow and erased the backwards three, carefully rewriting it facing the other direction. He looked at the next set of problems and his heart sank. Word problems. This was going to take him all night. _Relax, we'll do them together. Jack has eight oranges and Tom has fifteen oranges. How many oranges do they have together? I know you can do this. _"I can?" Irvine looked at the page again. "I can. I can do it. Eight plus fifteen." He wrote it on his paper. _Eight plus five is?_ Irvine wrote down a three, studying it to see that it matched the other one._ You got it right._ Irvine wrote a small one above the tens column and quickly added to put a two in front of the three. "Is that right?" _Perfect. I knew you were a smart kid._ Irvine sighed and let his pencil wander to the margin of his paper, making a squiggle. "No, I ain't. M'stupid." _You're not stupid. Oh, God, you're not stupid._

Irvine sat up as another boy entered the room, taller, maybe a year older than Irvine, with curly red hair. "Hi, Blake."

Blake crossed to the closet, reaching up to get his dress jacket down off its hanger. "Still doing your homework, Kinneas? You're missing the dinner."

Irvine pulled his knees to his chest. "Don't matter. S'a parent night. S'not mandatory if ya don't got none."

"Suit yourself." Blake slid his jacket on. "Bet you a wendago card you don't get your homework finished even if you skip dinner."

Irvine swallowed. "You're jus' tryna get my cards." _Take him up on it._ Irvine furrowed his brow. _Go on. You can do it._ "Okay, you're on."

Blake smirked as he walked out. "Sucker."

_We'll see who's the sucker. Okay, Irvine, let's get to work._ Irvine bent over his books once more, gripping his pencil confidently. The problems came easy, his mind unworking the tangles on the page. Problem after problem fell as they had never done before. For the first time, he'd finish an entire assignment and avoid the aching arms of punitive pushups.

* * *

Cid opened his eyes again, stretching a bit, feeling his own body.

"So he's dyslexic." Ellone tilted her head, looking to Cid. "Sorry, feeling alright again?"

Cid nodded. "Yes, getting there, thank you. I never knew. Martine never mentioned it in his progress reports."

"Maybe Martine didn't know, either."

"It's possible. I wasn't diagnosed until I joined the army. It would explain why he never tested for SeeD, though." Cid took off his glasses to clean them again, more out of nervous habit than necessity. "It also explains why he's such a crack shot. Ability to focus on something when it's spacial and real." Cid cast Ellone a smile. "If I'd been there for him, I'd have known when he was little. I'd have been able to get him a tutor."

Ellone sighed. "Cid, if there's one thing I know, it's that it's no good to try and second guess what might have happened. We can only look into the past, we can't change it."

Cid nodded, looking down to slide his glasses back on. "Yes, yes, you're right, of course. This is supposed to be an exercise in figuring out what I can do now."

"You're really worried about him, aren't you." Ellone smiled fondly. "He always was your favorite. Not that the rest of us took it badly. There was just something special between you two."

"He's.. he's my son." Cid didn't look at Ellone, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks as he blurted out the confession.

"What?"

"I had a brief affair with a woman when I was in the army. It was stupid, completely frivolous. I didn't stay in touch with her, I never even found out there was a child born of our time together until she died. I was a soldier, single, travelling with my unit and fighting a war. I couldn't take over raising a child. I had him sent to an orphanage, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I had a son. So I found out where he was and went to see him. I just wanted to see his face, to know what he looked like." Cid looked up at Ellone, the haunted expression in her eyes making him fall silent. _Oh, God, you know what he went through. Ellone, Laguna wasn't there for you, either._

Ellone swallowed, looking away. "It's never too late, Cid. Even when childhood has passed, fathers are important."

Cid reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Ellone. I'm so sorry."

Ellone squeezed his hand in return, smiling softly. "Don't apologize. Just be his father now. Give him someplace to belong."

Cid sighed. "I hope I get the chance."

Ellone looked to him, her brow furrowed. "Why, what's wrong?"

Cid tucked his handkerchief back in his pocket. "He was on the Ragnarok. It went down in the Esthar desert."

Ellone clapped her hand to her mouth, shaking her head. "Oh, no. Oh, I'm sure he's alright. He has to be."

Cid gave her a smile that did little to hide his worry. "I'm sure he will be. They're all good kids, well trained. And he got a lucky streak from his father."


	14. A Time for Action

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 14: A Time for Action

"I count three, no, four trucks." Seifer shifted his weight on his elbows, focusing the binoculars more tightly on the missile base. "Two men working on one of them. Looks like an elite and a regular soldier. Don't see any SeeD uniforms, red or any other color."

"Just two?" Selphie sounded disappointed, laying on her stomach on the edge of the bluff next to Seifer.

Seifer pulled the binocs away to look at her. "What, you want the entire army?"

Selphie flashed a disturbingly cheery grin. "Bring 'em on, we'll blow them to smithereens!"

"Selphie, you're a nut. But I like your style." Seifer went back to watching the base. 

Selphie fiddled with her walkie-talkie. "Thanks. Guess we'll just have to settle for two, though." She gave a sigh, then jumped slightly as a loud crackle of static echoed from the walkie-talkie. Seifer started, then grabbed it, thumbing the volume down quickly.

"Keep it quiet." He handed it back to her.

"Sorry. I keep hitting that little dial by accident." She held the unit to her mouth, pushing the send button. "Helloooooo?"

The walkie-talkie sputtered for a second, then Quistis's voice came through. "I read you, Selphie. See anything? Over."

"Four trucks and two uniforms on the outside. Oh, over."

"Roger," came Quistis's reply. "We can get a couple of disguises then. We'll meet you at the east gate. Over and out."

Selphie grinned, switching the walkie-talkie back to standby mode. "I love disguises."

Irvine crouched beside the east gate, watching the two soldiers through the scope of his rifle. The elite was half immersed in the hood of a truck, waving a wrench at his assistant, who was keeping up his end of the deal by dutifully handing over tools as required. Quistis looked around for Seifer and Selphie, noting that Fujin and Raijin were keeping low on the opposite side of the gate, but starting to look restless. "C'mon, c'mon," she breathed to herself as she looked back to where Irvine's rifle pointed, urging her friend and student to show.

A tap on her shoulder nearly sent her into attack mode. She spun and grabbed a wrist, then relaxed at seeing Selphie's green eyes wide with surprise.

"Oops," whispered Selphie. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Quistis waved an okay and nodded to Seifer as he ran in a crouch to join them. She pointed through the gate to the two soldiers. "Irvine's got them targetted," she whispered. "As soon as the elite is out of the hood we can take them down."

Selphie scooted over to Irvine, leaning over his shoulder and peering at the soldiers. Irvine peeked up at her with only a hint of annoyance at the disruption of his focus, then put his eye back to the scope. Selphie put her lips to his ear, her whisper tickling. "Say, isn't that...?"

Irvine looked up again as he felt Selphie's weight lift. It took a moment for it to register what she was doing and he could tell from the faces of the others they were also struggling to come to terms with her sudden and insane behavior. She stood, giving a sharp whistle and waving to the two soldiers. Seifer slapped his hand against his forehead and grabbed her to haul her back down, but it was too late. The blue-uniformed regular turned toward the gate, the red-uniformed elite smacking his head on the hood as he sat up.

"Selphie, are you totally psychotic?!" hissed Quistis. Irvine hurriedly put his eye to the scope again, ready to drop them before they could sound the alarm, but Selphie escaped Seifer's grasp and jumped in front of him.

"Wedge! Biggs!" Selphie pushed the gate open, skipping towards the stunned soldiers.

The others dove to follow her, weapons at the ready. Irvine almost felt like cracking up with relief though at the unexpected response. Wedge groaned and threw his arms up in the air in surrender, his elite superior dropping his wrench and shaking his head in dismay. "Wedge, we can't get a break," Biggs moaned.

Selphie stopped up a few feet from the pair, beaming happily as if greeting old friends. "What are you two doing here? I thought you gave up the army."

Wedge sighed, keeping his hands up. "We did. Only we managed to get in so much trouble because of you guys we not only got our pay docked, we wound up owing the army."

Biggs frowned, sliding down to the ground. "They've taken our homes, our cars, everything. All we want to do is just live a nice peaceful life and never see any of you SeeDs again and what happens?"

Quistis stepped forward, relieving the soldiers of their machine guns. "Sorry, it's not personal."

Wedge's shoulders slumped. "Just shoot us and get it over with."

"We don't shoot prisoners," said Quistis cooly. "Take off your clothes."

Wedge and Biggs looked at each other, then at Quistis. "Begging your pardon, ma'am," started Wedge.

"But we've both got girlfriends," finished Biggs. "Even if we can't afford to go out on dates anymore."

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. We need the uniforms. Irvine, Seifer, you're the only two that will fit them." She motioned for Biggs and Wedge to move behind a truck, Seifer and Irvine following with bemused smiles on their faces.

Irvine pulled on the blue visored helmet of his disguise and turned to let Selphie tuck his long hair under it. "Swear, I don't know how y'all wear these things. Get claustrophobia in 'em."

Wedge and Biggs, dressed in their bvds and Irvine and Seifer's coats, surveyed their replacements glumly from under Fujin and Raijin's watchful guard. "Try to stand a little straighter, will you?" advised Biggs. "I'd hate to have anyone think I let Wedge get away with slouching." 

Irvine straightened and threw his shoulders back, snapping off a salute. "That work?"

Biggs nodded. "Better. Although I think after this we're just going to be facing the firing squad anyhow."

Irvine snapped his salute off at Seifer, who looked more the part of an elite soldier than Biggs did once he had the uniform settled on. "Ready, sir!"

Seifer's grin showed under the visor of his helmet. "Well, it's the wrong uniform, but I am a captain finally. At ease, corporal."

Quistis held the machine guns out to them. "Okay, just get inside and get what information you can. I'm trusting you both to follow orders and not pull any stunts."

"Aw, I'm hurt, Instructor." Seifer slung the machine gun over his shoulder, turning for the base building. "You know I always follow orders."

"I meant mine, not the ones you make up, Seifer." Quistis shook her head at his back and looked to Irvine. "Be careful in there, alright?"

Irvine grinned softly. "Don't worry, beautiful. I promised I'd be a good boy for ya." He spun on his heel to follow Seifer. They kept a watchful eye out, but nobody emerged to challenge them. Relaxing slightly, they walked through the front doors, nodding to the single guard leaning against a desk. The Red SeeD nodded back, giving no further notice to the apparent soldiers. Irvine nudged Seifer to guide him to the left, Seifer turning without breaking stride and heading for the inner rooms.

"Just one?" Seifer whispered as soon as they were alone in a hallway. Irvine shrugged, equally confused by the lack of a swarm of enemy forces. the missile bases had been fully manned by Esthar soldiers, both human and cyborg. It would have taken a decent sized force to take them. Their footsteps echoed softly in the empty passage. Both started to get a little tense again. There should be more men here.

"You two lost?" Irvine and Seifer spun to the speaker, a Red SeeD armed with a wicked looking barbed spear, standing in an open doorway.

Seifer cleared his throat. "Looking for the coffee machine. Where the hell is everyone, anyway?"

The SeeD leaned forward a bit to see the name on Seifer's chest. "Biggs, is it? Coffee machine's down that way. What do you mean, everyone?"

"The place just seems kind of empty." Seifer slid his thumb down the strap of his machine gun, assuming a casual air. Irvine fought to resist the temptation to scratch his neck, his sunburn and hair both working to give him a terrible itch.

The SeeD cocked his head to the side. "What, nobody bothers to tell you regulars?"

"I'm an elite," snapped Seifer.

"Whatever." The SeeD maintained a look of condescension. "The others left this morning for the objective. Just left enough of us here to man the missiles. To be honest, I don't see why you soldiers are needed here, except to fix the equipment."

"Can't run a war without equipment, can you?" Irvine sensed a growing confrontation. Even if the remarks were being directed at a false pretense, Seifer was getting a little sick of the attitude the SeeD was giving him. "Which objective?"

"_The_ objective, dipshit. Balamb Garden? The White SeeD ship?"

Irvine felt the color drain from his face. He could see Seifer's lips tighten slowly. "What about Esthar?"

The SeeD shrugged. "So that's what they told you, huh? Well, maybe that's what Caraway wants, but the Galbadian Army stands a snowball's chance in hell of getting it with those other SeeD forces out there. That's what you need us for. We'll take them out for you, make it a cakewalk to get in and take over Esthar."

"So you're going to use the missiles to crash the Garden, then your troops can move in?"

"You catch on quick." The SeeD scratched his chin. "For a soldier."

Seifer started to open his mouth, on the verge of blowing, but Irvine cleared his throat. "What about your coffee, sir?"

"Forget my fucking coffee!" Seifer stepped forward, visor to face with the SeeD. "There's kids on those SeeD vessels, don't you know that?"

"Future enemies of Galbadia you mean, don't you, Biggs?" The SeeD didn't even blink. "I'd advise you to stick to your coffee and mechanics and leave the SeeD vessels to us professionals." He turned, stepping back into the room and slamming the door in Seifer's face.

Irvine grabbed Seifer by the elbow. "C'mon, we gotta report back."

Seifer pulled away from him, turning to stride down the hall. "Screw that. We're going to make sure those missiles don't take out the Garden."

Irvine hurried to catch up to him. "Seifer.. our orders."

Seifer spun to face him. "Those missiles might get shot off any second. Are you just going to stand by and let it happen because Quistis told us not to act? She didn't know about this, Irvine."

Irvine swallowed, looking at his own reflection in Seifer's visor, then nodded. "Okay. Let's find them missiles, Captain."


	15. Red SeeD

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 15: Red SeeD

Irvine followed Seifer down yet another hallway. "Anything lookin' like a control room yet?"

Seifer shook his helmeted head. "Fucking hell! It's a missile base! Why is so much of it devoted to things that have nothing to do with missiles?!"

"I dunno, employment crisis with military architects?" Irvine nearly ran into Seifer's back as his friend stopped to look down another crossing hall.

"Stop joking around and help me figure this out. You're the one who's been here before."

"I didn't come to see anything about missiles," Irvine pouted. "I came ta get shot inta space clear on the other side of the base."

Seifer flipped his visor up as if seeing things by the glare of flourescent lights would help him decide on a course. "This place is a Goddamn maze."

"How about we go back, report ta Quistis, and then we can all sneak in and look?" Irvine's query was met with a glare from Seifer. "Or not. Just pick, Seifer. Eenie, Meenie, Miney, or Moe?"

"Moe." Seifer flipped his visor down and turned right. Irvine strode after him, following him down a set of stairs.

"Hey, good call. We're probably gettin' a lot closer now."

Quistis looked at her watch, then at the building. Their prisoners were behaving themselves well enough, Raijin having pulled out his deck of Triple Triad cards to keep them entertained. Selphie bounced from one end of the truck they were using as cover to the other.

"Why's it taking so long?"

Quistis sighed, leaning against the truck. "I sent Seifer and Irvine in. Together. I'm afraid to speculate."

Selphie grinned. "Well, nothing's blown up yet, so Seifer has to be behaving himself."

Quistis glanced at the building again. "Give him time."

Seifer stopped again, Irvine clanking helmets with him from behind. "Ow."

"Shh." Seifer held up his hand.

"You gotta give me some warnin' when ya decide ta put on the brakes," complained Irvine quietly.

"Stop walking so close then. I said shh."

Irvine listened, the helmet muffling his hearing. Footsteps echoed from behind the wall next to them. He looked at Seifer, but it was hard to read his expression behind the visor. Seifer slid his machine gun off his shoulder and motioned for Irvine to move to the door just behind them in the hall while he stepped quietly towards the one just ahead. Irvine nodded, getting his machine gun ready and stepping back into position. Seifer held up three fingers, counting them down, then spun and kicked in the door. Irvine did the same.

They had entered two doors of the same room, covering opposite ends. Two Red SeeDs spun to face them, beyond them a group of a couple dozen Esthar prisoners, sitting on the floor with their hands behind their backs. "The hell are you doing?" challenged one of the SeeDs, raising his bo as he faced Seifer, the other falling into a defensive martial arts stance, eyes on Irvine.

"Relieving you of duty, asshole." Seifer sneered, but held his fire. Irvine swallowed, seeing the difficulty. Neither he nor Seifer were highly proficient with such innacurate weapons as Galbadian machine guns, and firing on the SeeDs endangered the prisoners behind them. 

The SeeD snorted, coming to the same realization when the soldiers didn't fire. "You don't have the balls. Besides, you're on our side."

Irvine slowly sidestepped, trying to get a better angle, but the SeeD facing him only stepped back, closer to the prisoners. Irvine glanced to the side. A large Esthar soldier looked back at him, then gave a bare nod.

"Don't push me, I'm having a pisser of a day." Seifer motioned towards the SeeD he had covered with the muzzle of the gun. "Step away from the prisoners."

"Why should I?" countered the SeeD. "It seems we're at an impasse. However, if you put that gun down and surrender, I'll see to it that you only get a life sentance instead of an execution."

Seifer ground his teeth, frustration building. "Fuck you."

"That's not in the options, soldier."

Irvine readied himself for whatever the Esthar soldier had in mind and returned the nod, unsure of how much longer Seifer would be able to hold himself back from doing something stupid. He stepped forward. The martial artist smirked and stepped back again, almost in amongst the prisoners now. The Esthar soldier took his opportunity, kicking his foot out and up at the back of the SeeD's knee. The man staggered forward. Irvine dove forward, planting the muzzle of the gun in the martial artist's chest, squeezing the trigger in a short burst. The man fell, his eyes staring up at Irvine even as the life passed out of them. The other SeeD spun, giving Seifer his chance. He lunged forward, slamming the butt of his machine gun into the back of the SeeD's head, crumpling him to the ground. Clenching his jaw, he put a burst into the back of the man's head, the SeeD's body twitching and then going still.

"I thought you said these Red SeeD were good." Seifer flipped up the visor, shouldering the machine gun.

"We got lucky." Irvine followed suit, stepping into the group of prisoners to start untying their hands, beginning with the large soldier who had provided their break. "Thanks alot."

The Esthar soldier nodded. "No problem. I take it this means there's a truce?"

Irvine frowned in confusion, then looked down at the Galbadian uniform he wore. "Oh, that. We ain't with the GA."

Seifer crouched, helping another prisoner free, the man then turning to assist others. "We just needed uniforms to get in. We're with Balamb Garden." The words seemed to have an immediate relaxing effect on the Estharians.

"About time you guys got here," grinned the big man, rubbing his wrists.

"No time for chit chat, sorry," said Seifer, standing. "Where's the control room?"

"I can take you there. The name's Stetson." The big man held his hand out to Seifer.

Seifer gave it a shake. "Almasy and Kinneas. Let's go."

"Seifer, what do we do about them?" Irvine jerked a thumb back at the rest of the group.

Seifer rubbed his jaw. "If they take off they might set off an alert. Course we didn't run into hardly anybody on the way here."

"We'll be fine," replied one of the older men. "We can get out on our own. Quietly."

Irvine looked up, eyes widening as a klaxon sounded throughout the building. "What's that?"

"Missile launch. It sounds thirty seconds before the missiles go off," answered Stetson grimly.

"Shit!" Seifer turned, sprinting for the door. "Get your ass in gear and show us the way, Stetson!"

Quistis, Selphie, Fujin, and Raijin all jumped to their feet as the klaxon sounded, eyes widening. 

"What's that? It can't be that Captain Seifer got caught, ya know?" Raijin tightened his grip on his naginata.

"LOOK!" Fujin threw her arm out, pointing at the missile silos. The doors eased open slowly, the white tips of the missiles rising into view.

Quistis swallowed, suddenly having more to worry about than Irvine's safety.

Irvine pelted down the corridor on the heels of Seifer and Stetson, the big man showing good speed for his size. "We won't make it in time!" he shouted back at the others.

"I'm not giving up!" Seifer had his machine gun in his hands. All three slid to a stop as they entered the control room, suddenly faced with five Red SeeD sitting at various panels. "AAAAAAAAAAH!" Seifer took advantage of the element of surprise, spraying the room with machine gun fire, sending the SeeDs diving for cover. Irvine spun to the side, firing a barrage of bullets and wishing he had his rifle and some scatter shot instead. Stetson ran toward the side of the room where the countdown flashed on a large display. Irvine caught a glimpse of the numbers. 8.. 7.. 6..

A bladed boomerang flew across the room, missing Irvine and Seifer by a several feet as it spun past. Irvine felt his knee suddenly give out and fell forward, looking down to see a steel crossbow bolt sticking out of his leg. He looked up again in time to see the SeeD reloading from the cover of a desk.

"PHOENIX!" 

A slight flash drew Irvine's attention as he realized one of the SeeDs was summoning a GF. He threw up his hand quickly. "CARBUNCLE!" He didn't vanish into the protective GF void, a hole instead opening in the solid floor in front of him. A softly furred green head adorned with a glowing red jewel popped out of the hole. With a squeak of alarm, Carbuncle did a flip into the air, large kangaroo-like back legs propelling him upward. Rays of ruby light flashed from his jewel, showering Irvine and Seifer in reflective magic before the GF dove back into his void. It barely closed as a gigantic flaming bird appeared in front of the two. The phoenix screamed in rage and shot a wall of fire from its mouth. Irvine and Seifer dropped their heads down to shield themselves, heat searing their skin as the fire raged against the ruby glow of their protection. With a crackling of competing magic energies the fire rolled back, then flashed towards their enemies. A scream rose in the roar of the flames. The sound of electronic equipment exploding filled the room. 

The other SeeDs took advantage of the break in machine gun fire to roll out of cover. Seifer dove as a spear rocketed toward him, rolling and clutching his shoulder where it sliced through the joint in his armor. Grimacing, he threw his hand out. "DIABLOS!" His form became ethereal, but didn't vanish. He had little experience with the space/time elemental, not having a relationship built up with him, and it would take several seconds before the GF could locate and answer him. He held his position without moving as a SeeD rushed him, slashing a sword through his body. Seifer felt nothing, the blow being taken by the GF even before he answered the call. Irvine turned his machine gun on the boomerang wielder as he drew his hand back to throw again, firing in a continuous burst as the man staggered backwards and fell against the wall, sliding down, leaving a streak of blood. Finally Diablos came, sucking both Seifer and Irvine into the protection of the void while he took their place. Bats blackened the room as they swarmed from nowhere, gathering into a large sphere. Like black ichor the elemental dripped down, taking on his demonic form, wings flinging out to the sides as he threw out a clawed hand and gathered it into a fist. Gravity within the room warped and twisted, doubling, tripling, quadrupling. The GF had matured since the time that Irvine had called on him to fight Seifer. Startled Red SeeDs had no chance to scream even as the force struck them, crushing bone and snapping joints. Diablos seemed to smirk, then threw his arms out, dissolving into a cloud of bats, their shrieks fading as he dropped Seifer and Irvine back into the room. 

The Red SeeDs were decimated, lying moaning in pools of blood surrounded by twisted sparking panels. Irvine clutched at the bolt in his leg as the pain started coming through the adrenaline of a fight. He looked to the side and saw Seifer on his knees, blood dripping down from the arm that hung uselessly at his side. Hesitantly he looked to the other side. Stetson lay against the countdown panel, his neck nearly severed, hand frozen inches away from the emergency override switch. Irvine's head dropped. He didn't even raise it as the door was kicked in behind him.

"Oh my God!" Selphie's voice rang out over the crackling of destroyed equipment as she rushed over to Seifer, kneeling down to support him. Raijin and Fujin pushed their way around the two to disarm the three still-living Red SeeDs. Irvine felt a cool hand touch his face and looked up to see Quistis on her knees in front of him.

"Did we stop them?" he whispered. Quistis looked down, shaking her head. Irvine sank forward against her shoulder, fighting back tears.


	16. Under Pressure

Cowboy 

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne

[Okay, okay, I know some of you were disappointed to find out that Irvine and Seifer were just going to be friends in this one, but I haven't forgotten you. I've put up the first chapter of Ride 'Em, Cowboy!, a SeiferXIrvineXSquallXZell yaoi for your R&R pleasure. As always, thanks for the feedback on Cowboy and I hope I can keep all of you interested in the adventures of a Quirvy and a Seiphie.]

* * *

Chapter 16: Under Pressure

Cid sipped at the cup of tea Ellone had provided for him while she rested from the exertion of sending Cid back. He tried not to let his thoughts stray to what danger his son could be in at the present moment, but he was unable to stop the flood of parental fear. He knew that Irvine was good at what he did and capable of taking care of himself. Martine had at least provided him that. Still, images of a wounded Irvine, perhaps lost in the desert, perhaps captured by the enemy forces haunted him. He chided himself. He had survived allowing Irvine to fight with Squall and the others against Ultimecia, although he doubted he could have done anything to stop him even if he had tried. Irvine was like him in that respect, seeming easy-going, even submissive, but stubborn when he perceived danger to those he cared about.

Cid rubbed at his chest, lamenting the heart condition that had stopped his army career over a decade ago. A large part of him wanted to dig out his old gunblade and head into the desert to find Irvine and the others, but he knew the idea was ridiculous. He would only put himself in danger and make it that much harder for Squall to do his job. He had to trust Irvine, had to trust the others with him. It was their time to fight the fights now.

"Are you ready to try again?" Ellone sat down in the chair next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Your heart isn't giving you problems, is it?"

Cid shook his head with a slight smile. "No, I'm fine, thank you."

Ellone took the teacup, setting it on the table in front of them. "You'll have to stop worrying about him if this is going to work, Cid. He's stronger than he looks, he's survived worse before."

"I know, I know. Foolishness on my part." Cid leaned back against the chair, clearing his mind.

"More like a father's love," said Ellone softly. "Close your eyes and relax."

Cid closed his eyes, feeling himself drift into the cool blue haze of Ellone's gift.

* * *

He felt pain radiating through his chest and side. His eyes were closed as he lay against something hard, his fingers still clenched around the grip of his rifle. Cold air swept across his face. He panicked for a moment until he felt the soft movements of Irvine's chest as he breathed, heard the faint rhythm of his heart. He was alive, but wounded, deeply gashed by a sharp blade.

"Check them, my knight. See if they survived." It was Edea's voice, but the heartless tone chilled Cid. It wasn't his wife who spoke, it was Ultimecia, the powerful sorceress who had taken her over. _Irvine. Irvine, wake up. Can you hear me?_

"Squall is. Barely." Cid could hear Seifer's boots as the possessed cadet moved between the casualties. "Well, well, Rinoa is, too. Not that I need her anymore, my sorceress." Cid forced away the wave of rage at Seifer's tone of intimacy. It hadn't been the cadet's fault. He hadn't been in control of himself. It wasn't his wife Seifer had been the consort of. He felt a hand on Irvine's neck, searching for a pulse. _Don't touch my son. He was like a brother to you, Seifer! Some part of you has to remember that!_ He could feel the faint throb against Seifer's fingers, betraying Irvine's life. The hand slowly withdrew, almost uncertainly. "The sniper's dead."

"Leave him, then. He belongs to Martine, let him deal with it. Have the other two imprisoned to await interrogation." Several pairs of booted feet hurried to obey the sorceress's command. "Come, my dear Seifer, you did well. Tomorrow you shall have your fun with those two."

"Thank you, my sorceress." Seifer's footsteps died away. Cid felt relief wash over him. _You knew he was alive, Seifer. Even in the clutches of the sorceress, even after you inflicted these injuries on him, you spared him._

It seemed ages that Irvine lay there motionless, only the slow drumming of his heart reassuring Cid that his son survived. Silence surrounded them like a prison. Cid ached for Irvine to open his eyes, to give him some clue of what was going on around them. After an agonizing eon passed, Cid heard a truck approach, stop next to them, a door open and close.

"Kinneas. You fucking failure!" Cid started at Martine's words, shocked by them more than the kick that followed, elliciting a moan from Irvine. _How dare you treat my son like this? He was supposed to shoot the woman who raised him, can't you show a little more understanding, a little compassion? He tried, you son of a bitch!_ He felt Irvine pulled up roughly, a healing potion forced on him. Irvine coughed, opened his eyes slowly.

"S-Squall..." Irvine rolled his head to the side, seeing the pool of blood left where his friend had fallen, pierced by the sorceress's powerful magic.

"He's alive, no thanks to you. Get on your feet." Martine stood, shoving Irvine roughly in the back with his boot. "So, you worthless piece of shit, is the sorceress!"

Irvine struggled to his feet, shaking his head. "She blocked the shot. She knew. I... I tried, Martine."

Martine shoved him roughly toward the truck. "Shut up, idiot. The whole plan's gone wrong and the blame is resting fully on you."

Irvine climbed into the truck and sank down in the seat, running his hand over the dried blood on his side. "I'm s-sorry. I tried. I couldn't--"

"Save it for the general, Kinneas." Martine settled himself in the driver's seat, casting a disgusted glare at Irvine. Irvine dropped his head against the window, his thoughts drifting to Squall, remembering him crouched in front of him, hand on his shoulder, fearless eyes on his, telling him that he could do it. He had failed them, failed them all. The gunslinger who never missed had caved to the pressure of seeing the face of his matron through his rifle scope. Frozen, unable to pull the trigger. And Seifer, his eyes holding no recognition, only avarice, only the desire to kill, to bring pain. His hands shook as he remembered his finger on the trigger, squeezing, closing his eyes, not wanting to see the bullet strike someone he cared so much about, hearing Seifer cry out as the shot sent him reeling back, preventing his gunblade from falling on Squall's neck. _You had to, Irvine. But you couldn't aim for the heart, could you. You just couldn't kill the one who you thought of as brother._

"I failed," whispered Irvine, staring at the darkness as if wishing it would swallow him up. "It's not Seifer anymore. I chickened out." _No, you just couldn't destroy a bond so strong. You have to save them, Irvine. Only you know. Only you can keep them together and save the ones you love, don't you understand that? Don't give up._ "Save them. Seifer. Matron."

Irvine stepped out of the truck, pulling his hat down over his eyes as he made his way up the steps of General Caraway's house after Martine. What could he do? None of the others even remembered him, not even Selphie and Quistis. They didn't even know the sorceress was their old matron. Everything had changed and changed so badly. It was a nightmare he only wanted to wake up from. He was nothing but an errand boy and assassin. His only worth to anyone was following Martine and Caraway's orders. How could he save anyone? _You're worth so much more, Irvine. You have it in you. You're stronger than you think._

Irvine hung his head as he stepped into Caraway's office, feeling anything but strong. He'd lacked the strength to pull the trigger and end Ultimecia's plans of world domination when he had the chance. The only thing he'd been able to do was fire the second time, knowing she was prepared for him, waiting for the shot. He had seen her eyes look directly at him as he targetted her from the tower. All he could offer was a signal for the others to follow so they could attack and do the job he'd failed at. _Nobody blames you, Irvine._ Squall's words echoed through his mind. It's okay. The shot was right on target. You did your best, Irvine. I'll take it from here. He remembered the questioning, accusing look in Rinoa's eyes as Squall rushed from the room. Her muttered comment about Squall's seeming sudden closeness to a practical stranger when he'd barely talk to his friends. He'd turned away, unsure at the tone of jealousy in her voice, watched Squall race from the tower in a stolen car to cover the block and a half between themselves and the sorceress's float, trapped between the closed gate and the crowd. The slamming of the door and Rinoa's feet echoing on the metal ladder made him turn to find her gone, leaving to fight beside Squall, not even asking Irvine to join her. Was he that much of a coward that he'd let Squall fight alone? He'd followed after, determined to protect the girl and help Squall, but he'd still failed.

"I should kill you, Kinneas." Irvine looked up hesitantly at Caraway, seeing his face full of outrage. "You were supposed to kill her. It wasn't that fucking difficult of a job, we set it all up for you!"

"I couldn't drop her, General." Irvine backed up a step as Caraway came out from behind his desk, but Martine pushed him forward again. "She knew somehow. She put up some kinda shield and blocked the shot."

"Don't give me your excuses," growled Caraway, grabbing Irvine's coat in one hand. "Do you have any fucking idea how much you messed things up?"

Irvine looked down. "I'm s-sorry, General. I t-tried."

"Shut up! You couldn't even finish your job, and on top of that you dragged my daughter into it! They arrested my daughter as a traitor!"

"It wasn't like I asked her ta do anything, General. We found her about ta be sacrificed by the sorceress, we had ta save her. She took off after Squall on her own."

"You screwed up, Kinneas!" Caraway gave Irvine a shake. "The one time we really count on you to do something that matters and you blow everything!" He shoved Irvine back at Martine, who caught him by the collar and held him while Caraway paced. "You're going to at least fix part of it."

Irvine swallowed, trying to keep his knees from shaking. "What do ya want me ta do, General?"

Caraway fixed Irvine with a cold glare. "You're going to get my daughter out of prison and bring her back here."

"But what about Squall and the others?"

"Let them rot. We don't need them anymore." Caraway stepped up to Irvine again, the young gunslinger shrinking away from him slightly. "And to make sure you do your job, I'm going to give you a little incentive. If my daughter, and just my daughter, isn't back here in one hour, I'll fire off enough missiles at Balamb and Trabia Gardens to turn them into rubble, understood?"

Irvine nodded slowly, his stomach churning. Leave his friends in prison or bear the guilt of the blood of a bunch of kids on his hands. His mind went blank, unable to cope with the agonizing decision.

* * *

Cid sat forward, gulping for air as he returned to the present. This was the hell his former army comrade had put his son through, his own son.

"Cid?" Ellone put her hand on his shoulder worriedly. "Breathe. Your heart, remember your heart."

"That bastard." Cid pulled away from her hand, rising to his feet. "Irvine was still a boy. Is still a boy. Martine made him feel like enough of a failure as it was, but to leave him with the guilt for all the deaths at Trabia Garden!"

"It wasn't Irvine's fault, we both know that. Caraway was the one who fired the missiles. For God's sake, Irvine came with Squall and Rinoa to warn you about the impending attack."

"That doesn't matter." Cid turned to face her. "He's my son, I know what he would feel. His choosing to save Squall and the others set that attack off in the first place. As wrong as it is, he blames himself."

Ellone took his hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze. "Then he's going to need his father to help him heal."


	17. Into the Garden

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 17: Into the Garden

Irvine sat in the back of the truck, staring at the dust behind them. He felt numb. It was happening again, all over again. He could hear Fujin and Raijin bickering up in the front of the truck.

"ROCK!"

"I see it, ya know, Fuu?" The truck swerved, the four in the back sliding helplessly to the side.

"DUMB!" This was followed by a painful sounding smack.

"OW! Fuu! I'm tryna drive, ya know?!"

"POTHOLE!"

"What?" The truck took a rough bounce. "Well, ya know, I woulda seen it if you hadn't been hitting me, ya know?"

"DESERVED!" Another smack.

"OW! Fuu, stop it, ya know? You wanna drive?"

Irvine went over his junctions in his head. They had been able to draw spells from the Red SeeDs they'd taken prisoner, their GFs absorbing the magic from the Red SeeD GFs. Curagas, the most powerful healing spells, had restored his and Seifer's health. More Curagas and other spells had been used to junction, giving the GFs the ability to increase their strength, defense, and spellcasting powers. They had collected nine new GFs that would be studied at Balamb Garden and assigned to new cadets, providing there was a Balamb Garden left. Fujin had been able to find a working landline and had placed a frantic call to Squall, warning him of the missiles en route, but they'd had no word since. Away from any microwave towers, their cell phones were useless. All they could do was travel as fast as they could to the Garden's last position and hope they got there in time to help defend against the Red SeeD attack.

"DITCH!" The truck jerked, military shocks providing no protection. Irvine slammed hard into the tire well. Quistis let out a yell, her arms flying up as she bumped onto Irvine's lap. His arm went around her reflexively and he hugged her tightly as the back tires went through the ditch, sending them both into the tailgate. He gripped it with his free hand to keep from falling out.

"You okay?" He looked down at Quistis, her hair falling loose around her shoulders, her barrette having slipped out.

"I bit my tongue, but other than that I'm fine. Thank you, Irvine." She gave him a brief smile.

"Your hair's all messed up." Irvine couldn't help thinking how much softer it made her look, more vulnerable.

"Irvine?" Her deep blue eyes were mesmerizing.

"Yeah?"

"You can let go of me now."

Irvine reluctantly loosened his hold on her tiny waist. His chest and legs felt suddenly colder as she pushed away from him and moved to the other side of the truck again, brushing her hair out of her face. Seifer's luck was quite the opposite. Selphie curled up against him tightly, her head on his chest, both his arms around her petite frame in masculine protection. Irvine looked away from them and turned his face once more to the dusty road falling away behind them.

"Do you think they're alright?" Selphie's voice was full of worry. It had been her friends in Trabia who had suffered the worst of Caraway's attack, unwarned and vulnerable, only a handful of survivors left by the time the team had gotten to the shattered remains of the Garden to find themselves surrounded by tragedy and pain.

"I don't know," answered Quistis quietly. "I hope so."

"Squall can take care of the Garden." Seifer kissed Selphie's hair. "It's going to be okay."

"We'll find out how okay it is when we get there." Quistis flashed an accusing look at Seifer.

"Fuck you, Instructor. Don't lay it on me. Irvine and I were the only ones in there trying to stop it."

"If you'd obeyed orders," returned Quistis, her tone icy, "we could have all gone in and you wouldn't have been in that control room outnumbered."

"We didn't have time!" Seifer leaned forward, jaw tightening. "We had to do something right then!"

"STOP IT!" Three pairs of eyes turned towards Irvine, the cowboy holding his hands over his ears. "Stop fightin'. People are gonna die, are already dead, and you two have ta gripe at each other like you're enemies instead of part of the same team! We gotta stick together!" Irvine lowered his hands, looking pleadingly at his friends. "Please. For the Garden. Just drop the blame game and focus on our friends and helpin' them?"

"Irvy's right." Selphie reached up and stroked Seifer's cheek softly. "Let's just forget what happened at the base. Can't we all just get along?" She looked from Seifer to Quistis. Seifer slowly relaxed, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"He'll never make SeeD if he can't follow orders, Selphie."

"Quisty... please?" Irvine sighed.

"Fine." Quistis pulled out her cell phone, concentrating her frustration on the flashing 'No Signal' on the LCD screen.

The white walls of the Garden reflected the sun, making it seem to glow against the red sand around it. Irvine clenched his teeth seeing the slight angle to its resting position, black plumes of smoke rising from one side. Quistis shouted instructions even as Raijin pulled up to a stop at its base.

"Fujin, you and Raijin go in from the parking lot. Take the medpack with you and help anyone you can."

"AFFIRMATIVE!" came Fujin's reply.

"Selphie, you're with me. We'll take the left side. Irvine, you and Seifer take the right. We'll meet up at the elevator and go up from there. Seifer, Irvine makes the calls."

Irvine looked back at her as he jumped over the tailgate. "What? Quisty, I ain't no commander. 'Sides, Seifer's got rank on me as a cadet."

Seifer swung himself over the side of the truck, shouldering his gunblade. "You heard her, Irvine. Don't argue."

Selphie leaned out of the truck to kiss Seifer's cheek before dropping down next to him. "Be careful."

Quistis joined her, uncoiling her whip. "Let's go."

Irvine clenched his rifle in both hands, looking to Seifer, but his friend's piercing eyes only hardened. Irvine swallowed and turned to follow Quistis and Selphie into the building as Raijin gunned it for the parking lot.

Inside was a scene of confusion. Black and White SeeDs were grouped around the large hub of the Garden's first floor, battling Red SeeDs. GFs flashed in and out of existance, roars and screeches filling the air. The scent of fire, thunder, and ice spells invaded Irvine's nostrils, his mind falling into acute focus for combat. Large plant-like monsters called grats, escaped from the Garden's training center, swished around on their root-like tendrils, creating more havoc as they randomly attacked anything that got too close to their snapping clawed leaves.

"Haste!" Seifer flung his palm out, the red glow of a spell surrounding Irvine as the world around him slowed. He quickly turned and returned the casting on Seifer, who seemed to wind up from slow motion to join him. Adrenaline pumped through them as they sprinted past the open door of the library, hearing the distorted shouts and clangs of battles within. Shards of ice flew towards them. He dove in front of Seifer to block them, relying on his junction to his defense to cut down the damage. He always kept ice on his defense, the fire GF Ifrit having a particular resentment towards the spell. Cold burned into his arms and stomach, but the shards shattered against his skin rather than piercing it. Raising his rifle, he fired at the magic caster, the Red SeeD falling to the floor motionless. Behind him he heard Seifer's gunblade go off, a twitching severed grat claw skittering past his boot.

"Thanks, buddy." Irvine flashed a grin at Seifer. Seifer returned it.

"That's my job."

Irvine ran forward again, diving out of the way of weapons and clearing a path for Seifer, getting off as many shots as he could before he ran out of ammunition. He knelt to reload, Seifer spinning to cover him from behind. The floor shuddered under their feet. "Quake spell?" Irvine glanced up at Seifer, who shook his head, looking toward the training center. SeeDs of all colors in the vicinity stopped their fighting, suddenly choosing to scatter in panic. Irvine swallowed, following Seifer's stare.

"Big Al." Seifer flipped his gunblade to a horizontal position, a smirk touching his lips. The floor shuddered again and a gigantic orange and black striped head ducked down into the double doors of the training center, a hundred razor sharp teeth gleaming as the mammoth reptile opened his mouth for an angry roar and started forcing his way against the steel. Irvine felt a small whimper escape him. Big Al was the largest of the Garden's rexaurs, a creature so violent he was only allowed out of his paddock for fights against groups of at least three veteran SeeDs. Scars marred his bumpy skin from the training sessions. Irvine's fingers fumbled to slam in a fresh clip before Big Al could break his way out to rampage. Already the joist above the door was creaking, a crack forming along it vertically. The doorway bowed as Big Al's shoulders pounded against them.

"Ifrit, junction sleep ta my attack, now!" Irvine stood, feeling the slight tremble of the spell being sent through his fingers to his weapon, infusing the bullets with magic. He flinched as the steel of the doorway snapped with a violent bang, then raised his rifle and fired at the charging rexaur. The bullet didn't even slow the beast down, but his massive back claws stumbled, red eyes fogging for a moment as the spell took hold. Irvine and Seifer dove to opposite sides as the rexaur crashed to the ground between them, the tip of his tail twitching as his eyes fell closed. Seifer rolled back to his feet quickly. Big Al was a notoriously light sleeper and even magic wouldn't keep him down for long. Seifer rammed his gunblade into the tough hide of the rexaur and fired into its shoulder. Irvine rolled to one knee, aiming at Big Al and ready to drop him again. Big Al roared in fury and heaved himself upright, slamming a tree trunk sized tail at Seifer, who hurriedly jumped, taking a step on the sweeping appendage as it sailed under him. Irvine fired again. Big Al's head tipped back, weaving, and down he fell once more. Irvine tried to get out of the way, but the massive head crashed onto his right leg. He let out a scream of agony as he felt the bones shatter under the impact.

"Irvine!" Seifer ran to him, grabbing him under one armpit with his free hand and pulling. Irvine's head swam with pain and his breath rasped. Big Al's eyes started to flicker with life. Irvine's stomach dropped as his mind filled with images of how easy it would be for that head to roll to the side. A quick snap of Big Al's jaws would easily relieve him of his leg, defense junction or no. The pain made it difficult for him to think. He tried to call Ifrit, but only a croak escaped his tight throat. Hypnotized, he stared at the teeth the size of his fist as Big Al twitched, his eyes opening fully.

"Fuck this!" Irvine felt Seifer let go of him, for a moment panic seizing him as he thought he would be abandoned. Seifer jumped to straddle Irvine's pinned leg, slamming the gunblade with full force into the opening mouth of the rexaur, the black blade sinking into the cavernous ridged roof of the upper jaw. Irvine felt the concussion of the explosive gunblade firing once, twice, three times. Big Al shuddered, his head rolling backwards off of Irvine's leg, his tail slamming hard against the floor. Seifer lunged to keep up with the beast, firing again. Big Al roared weakly, then went still. Irvine dropped his head back, the ceiling far above spinning. He closed his eyes and groaned.

"Irvine, wake up!" He felt Seifer's arm slide under his shoulder, pulling him off the floor. He opened his eyes to see the alarmed look on his friend's face. Seifer looked down at his leg, gulping. "It's a compound fracture. You're bleeding, Irvine." Irvine tried to give a faint nod as Seifer dragged him to the wall, laying him back down. He sucked in his breath sharply as he felt Seifer's hand on his leg. He felt like he would pass out any second. "I have to set it before I can heal you. This is going to hurt like hell." Irvine closed his eyes, wondering if anything could hurt more than the fracture already did. He felt Seifer's hands grip his boot, then sharp agony. His own scream drowned out the sounds of battle around him. Bile filled his throat and he choked. More pulling dimmed everything as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, then a hand pressed to his chest. "Curaga!" Soothing cool light fluttered over him, easing the pain into numbness. He exhaled in relief, feeling the bones knit together and heal. Seifer's hand slid under his neck, lifting him into a sitting position. He opened his eyes and laughed. Seifer was covered in blood from the rexaur and Irvine, only compounding the disheveled look he'd picked up in the desert and at the base.

"What?" Seifer frowned at him.

"You look like shit." Irvine snickered.

Seifer rolled his eyes and pushed away from Irvine. "Speak for yourself. Let's get moving."


	18. Rivals

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 18: Rivals

Irvine's freshly healed leg was aching, causing him to limp badly by the time he and Seifer had fought their way to the elevator. Together the Black and White SeeDs were managing to hold their own against the Red SeeDs, leaving the two cadets to turn the tide in battles as they came across them. Seifer reached over, wrapping a strong arm around Irvine to help him the last twenty feet to their objective. Quistis and Selphie were there, the instructor yanking a Red SeeD off his feet with her whip, the perky SeeD bouncing over to finish him off with a blow from her nunchukas. Seifer leaned Irvine against the wall next to the elevator and hit the call button. "Let's go, Instructor!"

Quistis looked over, recoiling her whip as she headed for him, Selphie on her heels, waving her nunchukas to help her balance as she skipped over fallen bodies. "Seifer! Irvy! Irvy, are you hurt?"

Irvine flashed a tight grin, reloading his rifle. "Yeah, had a little fun with Big Al, but Seifer took care of it."

"You guys need showers," quipped Selphie, pursing her lips.

"Later, Selphie, later." Seifer pushed the elevator doors open as they started to slide apart, Quistis and Selphie ducking in first, followed by Irvine, his face set in a grimace of pain, and finally Seifer. The doors slid shut as Quistis pushed the button for the second floor, all four preparing their weapons and getting in a ready stance. The doors slid open and they saw two figures in front of them, both female, dark haired, hands stretched out in front of them, spells ready on their lips, charred bodies littering the floor in front of them.

"Matron! Rinoa!" Quistis's yell stopped the two sorceresses from attacking.

"Quistis!" Rinoa ran forward, her eyes filled with fear. "We thought all of you might not have made it. We've been able to keep anyone from getting off on this floor, but there's nothing stopping them from getting up to the command level."

"The students are holed up in the classrooms," explained Edea. "We can take care of them for now. Get to the command level and help Squall out."

"What about Cid?" Irvine asked, surprised that the question would even come to him. Bitterness and concern fought for his emotions.

"He's safe." Edea looked at Irvine, her eyes seeming to see right through his. "He left for the White SeeD ship well before the attack."

"He's not safe." Seifer avoided Edea's eyes as he reached for the third floor button. "Only half the Red SeeD force is here. The other half is going after the ship."

Irvine saw a look of horror fall on Edea's face as the doors slid shut.

"Why'd you tell her that?!" Quistis glared hotly at Seifer.

Seifer shrugged. "She has a right to know."

"Now? Your timing is perfect, Seifer." Quistis turned to face the doors, her hand clenching the butt of her whip in anger. Seifer glanced at her, then readied his gunblade, his expression unreadable.

Irvine raised his rifle, aiming between Selphie and Seifer as he braced himself against the back of the car. The doors slid open and he quickly took bead on a red uniform, firing and dropping the woman from behind. The other three dove out, falling into battle with the six Red SeeDs who turned to face the new threat. Irvine limped forward out of the car, keeping behind Selphie and taking another shot. An arrow, infused with fire magic, flew from the doorway across from them, cutting down another of the enemy, now penned into the tight foyer between the two entrances. Irvine heard the muted retort of a second gunblade firing between his and Seifer's blasts. Squall. He was alive and still fighting, and had the Garden's pilot Nida with him as well, using his skill at archery to defend the command office, and Zell, judging by the shouts of 'BOOYA' off to the left. Irvine kept firing, sleep taking two more Red SeeDs to the floor where they were quickly finished off by his companions. Seifer, Quistis, and Selphie ran forward to their commander, down on one knee in the doorway, blood dripping down the side of his head. Seifer spun to face off against another Red SeeD, lightning flashing from his fingers as he cast a Thundaga spell. Irvine took a step after them and felt something strike his leg, knocking his feet out from under him. His chin slammed the floor hard and he looked sideways, rolling quickly as a spear punctured the floor next to him. He grabbed for his rifle, knocked from his hand during his fall.

Something red and blue flashed over him. "OH YEAH!" Irvine heard the unmistakeable sound of a red size 9 basketball shoe slamming into a chest, followed by a groan and the Red SeeD who had just tried to impale him falling to the floor. Zell dropped back down and slammed his steel-knuckled glove into the man's throat, then turned to grin down at Irvine. "Who's the chicken, taking off after I just give him a little chin-music?"

Irvine took the hand Zell offered a bit uncertainly, letting the martial arts expert pull him up to his feet. "You think that's why I left?"

"I don't blame you." Zell grabbed Irvine in a bear-hug, squeezing the breath out of the startled gunslinger. "Good to have you back!"

"Zell. Can't.. breathe." Zell laughed and let Irvine go. Irvine gasped for air and put it down to Zell's usual hyperactivity after battle. "Squall?" He turned to see his friend being helped into a sitting position by Quistis, Selphie casting a Curaga on the dazed commander.

"Ah, he's fine. Hey, Seifer!"

Seifer backed away from Zell, who bounded for him with outstretched arms. "Back off, chickenwuss. You hug me and I'll rip your throat out."

Zell settled for punching Seifer on the arm instead, forgetting he still had his gloves on. Seifer staggered back, grabbing his arm. Zell looked around for a new victim for his affection. "Selphie!"

Irvine limped over to Seifer. "You okay?"

Seifer rubbed his arm, frowning. "How the hell did that jackass graduate when I didn't?"

Irvine watched Zell and Selphie bounce around, hugging each other and both babbling at once, catching each other up on the events that had happened since their seperation. "Maybe there's extra points given for bein' on a continual sugar high."

"Irvine?" Squall pushed Quistis away and got to his feet, walking towards the pair and shaking his loose hair out of his grey-blue eyes, his solemn expression not revealing if he was happy or not to see the prodigal gunslinger. Seifer lowered his head slightly, reminding Irvine of a bull about to charge, but held his position and his tongue.

"Heya Squall. Things got kinda busy, huh?" Squall stopped in front of Irvine, silent. Irvine could read all of Squall's silences. Nobody could pull more varied meaning from a blank stare than the SeeD commander. This silence read relief and not being able to say how much he'd missed his best friend being by his side. Irvine relaxed, smiling softly. "Yeah, I missed you, too," he said quietly. Squall's uncertain and unpracticed smile crossed his face and he clapped his hand to Irvine's shoulder.

"What's the situation downstairs?" Irvine nodded to Quistis even though the question had been addressed to him. Squall looked over his shoulder expectantly.

Quistis brushed hair away from her face. "There's still a few enemy to be mopped up, but we've all but secured the Garden, Commander."

"That takes care of the Garden," broke in Seifer impatiently, "but what about the White SeeD ship?"

"What about it?" Squall tensed slightly, acknowledging his old rival's presence for the first time.

"The other half of the Red SeeD forces are on their way to it," explained Quistis.

"WHAT?!" Zell's yell boomed around the small area. "CID'S ON THAT SHIP!"

"Fucking A, chickenwuss, we're only ten feet from you." Seifer ignored Zell's glare as he looked to Squall. "So, what do we do, Commander?"

Squall turned away, inhaling deeply as he sorted out the situation. The others waited patiently, knowing that Squall would give his orders when he was ready, except for Seifer, who drummed his fingers on the wall, chewing the inside of his cheek. "The only way to get to the ship is with the Garden," said Squall at last. "How bad is the damage, Nida?"

"I can still fly her, Commander." The tall, quiet pilot tapped his bow against his leg. "I can't promise I can set her down too gracefully."

"Get to it, then. That ship is practically undefended, most of the White SeeD are here on the Garden." Squall turned to head to his office.

"Squall, aren't you going to tell everyone what's going on?" Selphie turned on her heels, raising a brow at having to remind Squall of his duties again. 

Squall looked at her with a silence that Irvine could tell right off was a protest against the agony of having to use the PA and turned for the mic, picking it up and pressing the button. Irvine waved his hand encouragingly as Squall stood there in broadcast mode thinking of something to say. "Um... This is Squall. Good work, everyone. Medical teams report to Dr. Kawalski." He glanced at Quistis, who mouthed a reminder to him. Squall nodded. "Um, security teams gather the prisoners in the Quad. We've got another battle coming up, so everyone rest and heal up. Unit commanders send your casualty reports to my desk. Guess that's it." He hung the mic back on its hook, looking drained from the effort of a public speech, and headed into his office.

"I can't believe he's the Goddamned commander," commented Seifer under his breath, shaking his head. Irvine sighed, starting to think that trying to keep the peace between Quistis and Seifer was only a preview of the way things would be with his childhood friend back on board.


	19. Mixed Emotions

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne 

* * *

Chapter 19: Mixed Emotions

Irvine leaned back against the shower wall, watching the filthy water circling the drain as it washed away fine red sand and dried blood. If only it could wash away his racing thoughts. He impatiently longed for the moment they'd return to battle, when he could push everything else aside and focus only on the instinct to survive. He dropped his head back under the nozzle and let the water run over his face and hair.

Headmaster Cid, no, his father, was on the ship they were rushing to defend, as was Ellone, the gentle and understanding older sister to all the orphans. Cid had been a soldier, a gunblade expert like Seifer and Squall, but he hadn't fought for eleven years. He'd become a paper-pusher, dealing with financing, contracts, and test scores. He reminded Irvine more of an absent-minded professor than the fighter he'd once been. Ellone's skills had nothing to do with protecting herself. A handful of bodyguards and a bunch of children were the only defenders the two would have. Even if he hated Cid, the thought of him being taken captive or even killed twisted Irvine's stomach into knots. What would the Garden do without him? If the tough by-the-book Xu took his place, it wouldn't be much different than Galbadia Garden had been under Martine. Matron wouldn't be able to survive losing him after finally getting to be with her beloved husband again. His childhood family was finally together again with the return of Seifer, but without Cid they'd never stay together.

He rinsed off and stepped out of the shower, drying himself and wrapping a towel around his waist before going to his closet to get dressed again. He nodded to Seifer, now his new roommate, already finished and stretched out on his bed, getting a desperate bit of rest between battles. Seifer nodded back, then rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Irvine pulled on his clothes, feeling much more himself without sand and blood chafing his skin under the fabric, and flopped down on his bed on his stomach, chin on the backs of his hands.

"I can't stand the waiting." Seifer rolled onto his side again, restless, and propped his cheek on one hand. "I want to be in it already."

"Know whatcha mean," mumbled Irvine. "Just go ta sleep."

"Right, like you're gonna, either."

Irvine sighed and sat up, leaning his back against the wall and lighting up a cigarrette, tossing the pack with the last one and the lighter over to Seifer. "Can't stop thinkin'."

"You're worried about him, too." Seifer sat up, digging out the cigarrette and crumpling the pack, throwing it overhand into the trashcan by the desk.

"Why should I care one way or the other?" Irvine closed his eyes, trying to convince himself of his apathy as much as Seifer.

"Because he's your dad, fuckup at the job or not."

Irvine's eyes snapped open. "Don't call him my dad, you got that?"

"Your father, whatever." Seifer leaned forward. "Shit, Irvine, don't you know what any one of us would do to know our real parents? Can't you remember what it feels like being an orphan? At least you've got someone, now, and not just anyone, but Headmaster Cid."

"Fuck off, Seifer! I don't need him, and I do fuckin' remember! He didn't want me!"

Seifer shook his head, undaunted by Irvine's evidence of anger. "There had to be another reason. You were gone all that time, you forgot what Cid was like. He took care of all of us, he put up with more shit than I ever would have. He made me head of the Disciplinary Committee, gave me chances, never told me I couldn't become what I wanted to be, even when Quistis and Xu got in my face."

"Then you be his Goddamn son!" Irvine grabbed his clock, throwing it at Seifer with dead aim. It struck the blond on the side of the cheek. Seifer lunged off the bed with a yell, tossing the cigarrette to the floor as he took a swing at Irvine, his fist connecting with his friend's jaw, sending him sprawling across the bunk. Irvine threw his hands up defensively, regretting inciting Seifer's infamous ire with the impulsive attack. "I'm sorry, Seifer! Ya got me back. Lay off!" Seifer pulled back his arm again, one hand on Irvine's collar. Irvine swallowed and closed his eyes tightly, then opened them slowly as he felt Seifer release his collar, heard him step back.

"What was I doing?" Seifer looked down at Irvine, a hint of guilt in his eyes. "Shit, you're lip's bleeding."

Irvine sat up slowly, wiping his lip with the back of his hand and glancing down to the streak of blood on it. "S'okay. I deserved it. Sorta blew my stack back there."

Seifer picked up Irvine's towel and held it out to him. "I didn't mean to, okay?" Irvine nodded, that being more apology than he expected. He took the towel and held it to his mouth, watching Seifer as he retreived his cigarrette and flopped back on his bed, rubbing his cheekbone. "It's this fucking waiting around."

"Yeah, I know." Irvine pulled the towel away, then tossed it over the foot of the bed and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Can't stop thinkin'."

Squall lifted his head, watching the last two members of what he considered his unit enter the room. They were the best of the best as far as the SeeDs and cadets went, most of them trusted friends as well. Quistis, Selphie, and Zell were sitting on the couch, checking over their GFs and weapons. Fujin and Raijin stood in one corner, seeming to be having an uneasy adjustment to being asked to join the elite team. Rinoa paced the large sliding glass door that led out to the navigation deck where Nida struggled with the controls of the wounded Garden. Seifer closed the office door behind him and Irvine, looking to Squall with reserved resentment. Squall furrowed his brow slightly. Seifer had a black eye, Irvine a swollen, split lip.

"What happened to you two?"

"Walked into a door."

"Fell in the shower." Irvine could read the silence that followed, the one that said don't bullshit me.

Squall walked over, turning his attention from Irvine to Seifer, who met his gaze unflinchingly, almost challengingly. Squall stopped directly in front of the other gunblader, head tilted back a bit to meet the eyes of the tall cadet. "I put you in a room together because I thought maybe, just maybe, Irvine was the one person in this Garden you wouldn't fuck up with, Almasy."

"You wouldn't want me changing my perfect record, would you, _Commander_?"

Squall's eyes narrowed. "He's the only reason you're here, Almasy, don't forget that. I ever catch you roughing up a fellow cadet again and you're gone."

"Hey." Irvine stepped between the two before Seifer could answer, the blond's hands already clenching into fists. "I started it, Squall. My fault, okay?" Every eye in the room turned to the cowboy. Irvine grinned crookedly at their shocked expressions. "Hell, he ain't gonna rip my girlie magazines no more." Squall shook his head, not buying that Irvine would start a fight over something like that, but let it drop, walking back and sitting on his desk.

"Okay, we've got a job to do. The White SeeD ship is too small to take a full force onto, so I picked us to be her defense unit. The Garden will wait for the Red SeeD vessel to show up and try to intercept. I expect the Red SeeD will send in a few smaller boats to try to board the White SeeD ship, so our job will be to keep them off and defend the kids, Headmaster Cid, and Ellone. We'll split up into teams of three to cover the ship. Rinoa and Raijin will join me on the port side. Selphie, I want you to take Fujin and Zell, you'll cover the stern. Quistis, you've got Irvine and Seifer on the starboard. Everyone understand?"

"What about Headmaster Cid and Ellone?" Seifer crossed his arms, his tone questioning Squall's authority.

"So long as we keep the Red SeeD from boarding, there's no threat to them or the students." Squall fixed his grey-blue eyes on Seifer, the two falling into silence as they stared each other down.

Quistis stood, snapping her whip to her belt. "Seifer, you heard the commander's orders, didn't you?" She awaited an answer, her eyes narrowing as she got no acknowlegement. "Seifer?"

Irvine put his hand on Seifer's shoulder. "Hey, we're gonna make sure nothin' happens to them, Seifer. With you and me on that deck, them Red SeeDs don't stand a chance in hell of gettin' on board anyhow, am I right?" He held his hand out, palm up. Seifer dropped his eyes from Squall's to the hand, then gave it a slap, clasping Irvine's hand with interlocked thumbs for a shake.

"All for one and one for all." Seifer broke into a smile, Irvine grinning back.

Squall relaxed, shaking his head slightly. He had no idea how Irvine did it, but if he could settle the other gunblader down and make him put in a team effort, he had to respect him. "By the way, you cadets can consider this a field exam, but keep in mind the importance of this mission, not just your test scores."

"Field exam, huh?" Zell grinned as he walked past Seifer, smacking him on the back. "Good luck. What is this, fourteen?"

Seifer stiffened, glaring over his shoulder at Zell. "Sixteen, chickenwuss. And the last."

Quistis snorted, walking out of the room to wait for Seifer and Irvine at the offload dock. "You have the talent, but not the attitude, Seifer."

"We'll see, Instructor. You just know how much I love these field exams." Seifer looked down as Selphie straightened the front of his shirt, then looked up at him with her sunshine smile. Selphie went up on tiptoe, sliding her arms around Seifer's neck and kissing him fully on the mouth. The cadet stood there for a moment in confusion before sliding his arms around her, pulling her close to him as he returned it. "What was that for?" he whispered.

"Luck," chirped Selphie, turning her head to give Irvine a kiss on the cheek. "I just know my two favorite men in the world are going to graduate this time." She grinned again, bouncing away from Seifer to catch up with Zell. Rinoa raised her eyebrow slightly as she slid her arm around Squall's waist. Seifer shrugged to her and turned to leave, Irvine on his heels. Irvine couldn't help but wish it had been Quistis who'd kissed him instead of Selphie. Maybe if he made SeeD.


	20. Redeemed

Cowboy  
By NightsDawne

[Sorry about how long it's taken for this chapter to come out. Had a serious case of writer's block over a couple of plot points and wanted to get them right before posting.]

* * *

Chapter 20: Redeemed

Irvine heard the distant crash of the Garden ramming into the Galbadian destroyer, but had no time to think about it. He raised his rifle, focusing on the hatch of the incoming Red SeeD attack boat. To his right he heard Seifer shift, gunblade coming up to the ready. To his left Quistis snapped her whip out in front of her, catching the weighted end in one hand, poised to strike. Behind him Marek, one of Ellone's two White SeeD bodyguards, shouted out a Shell spell, protective magic flashing over the three. On the other side of the deck and to the back he could hear the other teams shouting instructions to each other as boats broke off to come at the ship from other directions. Irvine's finger tightened slowly against the trigger as the boat blasted toward them at full speed. At the last minute it spun sideways, engines cutting as it came alongside. The hatch was flung open and Irvine squeezed the trigger, blowing off the top of the first head that emerged. The Red SeeD tumbled back down inside, but another soon replaced him. Irvine squeezed the trigger again, at the same moment feeling himself falling forward, the entire deck lurching with a sound like thunder as they were rammed from the port side. He knew without looking that his shot had been thrown off, even as he felt the deck slide out from under his feet, saw the dark blue of water thirty feet below. Something gripped his wrist and he watched his rifle tumble from his grasp to splash into the water, vanishing in its murky depths. He looked up, Seifer's strained face above him as the other cadet leaned over the railing, one gloved hand holding the dangling gunslinger tightly. Irvine felt himself slipping, a sickening drop of only two inches before his hand seized Seifer's in a desperate clasp. Seifer threw his gunblade to the side, reaching over to get a second hand on Irvine and pull him back up to the deck. Irvine kicked his foot against the side of the ship, scrambling back up to fall over the rail again.

"That's two." Seifer lunged to grab his gunblade again. Irvine pushed himself up to his feet, unarmed, to see red uniforms scrambling over the stern. Selphie was on her back, Fujin on one knee next to her and casting a Curaga, Zell covering them both, one calf slicked with blood as fire shot from his fingertips at the oncoming enemy. He heard Quistis's whip crack with Thundaga magic and turned his head to see a Red SeeD fall from the side of the ship. The acrid smell of gunblade powder and magic spells cut into his mind, sharpening all thought into the single instinct to survive. He fell in next to Marek, switching over to magic using mode.

He focused on a Red SeeD, throwing his hand out and sensing the spells his GF carried. "Draw Thundaga!" Light flashed from the Red SeeD to his hand. A moment's search told him he'd gained enough power to cast the spell seven times. The Red SeeD spun, feeling the energy go out of him, his hand snapping out in front of him.

"BISMARK!" The Red SeeD's body became transparent, impervious to damage as the GF absorbed any injury. Seifer and Quistis both attacked the ethereal form of the Red SeeD, hoping to injure the GF enough to shock the connection and prevent it from answering, but it was too late. The Red SeeD vanished along with two of his companions. The sea suddenly seemed to churn off the bow. Irvine turned, seeing the flash of a massive silver body in the water, rushing towards the ship. The body rose, then splashed down into the ocean, flukes as wide as the ship itself slamming the water behind it. A wall of water fifty feet high rushed at them.

"Grab something!" Irvine screamed at the top of his lungs, diving to the deck to wrap his arms around a cargo hook. He had no time to see if the others heeded his warning. The wave slammed over the deck, the roar of it deafening him before the ice cold water hit him, sending him into shocked numbness. He couldn't feel the hook in his arms but clenched them tighter anyhow, knowing to let go would mean being swept overboard. It seemed as if he were being buried under the tremendous weight, then pulled apart as it swept past him, yanking at his legs.

He gasped for air, every part of his body screaming in pain from the vicious pummelling. He heard Seifer choking, retching. Moans assured him that there were other survivors. He rolled to his side, feeling as if his arms would break off. Only the three Red SeeDs who'd been sucked into the GF's void stood, preparing to cast spells on their drenched and wounded foes. He struggled to get his arm up, his burning lungs to suck in enough air to call for Ifrit or Carbuncle.

"Meteor!" Cid's voice from behind him surprised Irvine. His mind struggled to place his father on the deck, in battle, even as the three Red SeeDs turned their heads in unison, equally surprised. A storm of flaming rock rained down on the Red SeeDs. They threw up their arms to protect themselves, but the barrage overwhelmed them. Screams echoed between the sharp explosions of the stones slamming into the deck, then faded to nothing.

Irvine collapsed, his body unwilling to go through more exertion. He felt a hand slide under him, lift him from the deck, a hand touch his cheek. "Son?" He forced his eyes open, looking into irises the same color as his, filled with worry and... love. "You're alright. Just rest." Irvine nodded, closing his eyes and letting his head fall against Cid's shoulder. His father's shoulder.

He awoke in his own bed. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, wondering if it had all been a nightmare. The ache that shot through his arm as he tried to lift it to his face told him it wasn't and he let it fall back down with a groan.

"You're awake." He bit back another moan of pain as Quistis sat on the side of the bed. She smiled softly and reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. "I was worried you were going to miss your graduation."

"Graduation?" Irvine squinted at her in confusion.

"Well, somewhat of a formality. You still have to pass your written exam, although Cid says he'll give that to you himself and fully expects you'll pass."

"Where's Seifer?"

"Moving his things into his new room in the SeeD dorms. Relax, we all made it. A little sore, perhaps, but all in one piece."

"The Red SeeD?"

"Aren't we just full of questions. They surrendered when the Esthar naval ships arrived. The Galbadian Army quickly withdrew after that."

Irvine relaxed, a pained grin pulling his lips. "So I'm gonna be a SeeD."

"Mmhmm." Quistis touched his lips with a slender finger. "And that means I'm not your instructor anymore."

Irvine sighed. "No long nights of studyin'."

Quistis laughed, leaning down to brush her lips against his forehead. "Maybe we can find something else to fill the time. Oh, I almost forgot." Irvine looked down as she dropped something on his chest. "We found your hat."

Irvine laughed, ignoring bruises as he wrapped his hand around her waist. "Guess ever'thing's perfect then, darlin'. Ever'thing's just perfect."

* * *

[Again, thanks to those who gave me all those wonderful and supportive reviews. There may be short stories to come following up on Cowboy. After all, we'll have to cover Irvine getting used to having a father and Cid learning how to be a real father, and Caraway and Martine are still out there... and let's not forget Quistis.]


End file.
